Explanation
Evidentiality codes how information became accessible rather than simply whether it is true. Turkish can distinguish inferred or reported past information with -miş from directly witnessed past with -di.
Example
Turkish Ahmet gel-miş can be read as ‘Ahmet has apparently come’; Ahmet gel-di presents his arrival as directly established past. The event remains the same while its epistemic route changes.
Counterexample
English perhaps expresses uncertainty but is not a grammatical evidential category of the verb.
Distinction
indirect evidence ↔ direct witnessing
Effect on thought and perception
Makes the route of knowledge part of the utterance and separates event, source and certainty.
Resonance
A statement appears as a state of affairs plus a documented route of access.
Cite this entry
Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Indirect evidentiality“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-144-001. ATLAS 251, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-144-001The address remains stable; editorial content may evolve. A verified modification date per entry is not yet available. Include your access date for precise references.