ABSTRACT
In this article, we discuss the motivation and adequacy of a degree-based semantics for the Portuguese modal verb dever taking into account a crescent body of research on the role of gradation in modal semantics. We explore analogies with other domains with which the modality expressed by dever seem to bear a close relationship. We also address semantic issues connected to notions such as quantification, probability, gradability, and plurality, which provide a sample of the complexities involved in the elucidation of dever’s meaning. This will lead us to comparisons with proportional determiners, gradable adjectives, universal QPs, and plural definite descriptions, in an effort to assess certain analytic tools that have emerged in this area.
Keywords:
modality; gradability; weak necessity