Paper long abstract:

The Development of Modal Meaning - Georgian Unda

Grammaticalization has given rise to a new system in Georgian. Beginning from the XIV - XV centuries, major changes were made in the language due to systemic changes of certain forms. The most striking change can be observed with regard to the verb "ndoma" (want).

The analysis of the process of grammaticalization of the verb form "ndoma" (want) has revealed that the first semantic shift was related not to the third person form, but to the second person form "gina/ginda". The first stage of grammaticalization of the verb "ndoma" (want) is related to the semantics of free choice and indifference. The decategorized form "unda" reveals the same semantics. Later it was enriched by another semantics, that of debitive, obligation, deontic modality and epistemic necessity, which, in their turn, gave rise to numerous sub-semantic contents.

Grammaticalization of the second person form of the verb "gina" (you want) underwent the following way of development: gina > ginda > gind > gindac > tu ginda / tu gind > tugindac. The form "tugindac". The process of grammaticalization means the following transformation: reanalysis > decategorilization > phonological reduction.

The development of the form unda can be represented by the following stages of grammaticalization: reanalysis > decategorilization > abstracting out > phonological reduction. Abstracting out means diverse development of the modal semantics of "unda", which yields a semantically abundant and multifunctional content in contemporary Georgian.

The process of grammaticalization of the form "unda" is completed in the dialects, and it has turned into a clitic.

Key words: Grammaticalization, modality, modal meaning, modal form.