mirativity

Mirativity is a grammatical category used in some languages to mark that the information being conveyed is new or surprising to the speaker. It signals the speaker's epistemic stance, indicating that the assertion concerns information the speaker did not know before or finds unexpected. Mirativity is distinct from evidentiality, which encodes the source or reliability of information, and from general mood or modality. In languages with mirativity, a marker may attach to the verb, appear as a separate particle, or be integrated into the clause's morphology.

Markers can take the form of affixes, particles, or tone, and they may encode direct mirativity (the speaker just learned the information) or indirect mirativity (the information was reported or inferred). Some languages combine mirativity with evidentiality, allowing speakers to indicate both how they received the information and how surprising it is. The interaction of mirativity with other epistemic or discourse markers can affect how statements are interpreted in context.

Cross-linguistically, mirativity is attested in a variety of languages around the world. It has been described in languages of the Caucasus, parts of Asia and the Americas, and in some Oceanic languages. The exact realization and the set of contrasts differ by language, with some systems distinguishing direct versus indirect mirativity or marking varying degrees of surprise. In some languages, mirativity forms a core part of the morphosyntax, while in others it appears as a discourse particle or tonal pattern.

Overall, mirativity sheds light on how languages encode the moment of realizing new or surprising information, highlighting the diversity of ways speakers project their own knowledge state in communication.