Modaalseid

Modaalseid is an Estonian linguistic term that refers to modality in language. It is the genitive plural form of the adjective modaalne (modal). In scholarly usage, modaalseid appears in discussions about the modal category and its expressions, often in combination with nouns to indicate modal meanings such as possibility, necessity, or obligation.

Modality describes how a speaker frames the truth of a proposition or an action relative to reality. It includes notions like possibility, probability, permission, obligation, and advice. Linguists distinguish various modalities, such as epistemic (what is believed to be true or probable) and deontic (what is required, allowed, or prohibited). In Estonian, modality is commonly conveyed through modal verbs and periphrastic constructions, for example with saama (to be able to), võima (may), tahtma (to want), and peab (must). The adjective modaalne can also classify expressions or statements as modal in nature, giving rise to phrases where the word form modaalseid modifies a noun in the genitive or partitive.

In practice, modaalseid appears in phrases describing modal phenomena, such as modaalseid võimalusi (modal possibilities) or modaalseid tähendusi (modal meanings). For example, a sentence like “Selles lauses on modaalseid tähendusi” points to the presence of modal meaning in the utterance. Overall, modaalseid functions as a technical reference for discussing how language encodes speaker attitudes toward necessity, possibility, or permission.