Factual vs. evidential? [Elektronisk resurs] The past tense forms of spoken Khalkha Mongolian

• Past tense forms of spoken Khalkha Mongolian distinguish between established (- sang ) and non-established knowledge, which is then either based on direct (- laa ) or indirect (- jee ) evidence. Time of acquisition thus determines whether information source is marked, though vivid recollection (- laa ) and deferred realization (- jee ) overrule it. Conversely, attempted recollection in questions (- l=uu ) doesn’t presuppose sensory perception. A fourth suffix (- v ) is used if well-established events still surprise the speaker. These suffixes may also be used in a discontinuous fashion to refer to the future and then modally qualify predictions as inevitable (- sang ), apprehended [but preventable] (- v ), based on sensory evidence (- laa ) or inferred (- jee ). The distinction between unsourced - sang  and sourced - laa /- jee  is thus not about factual stance, but codes the extent to which information is consolidated in memory. 

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direct evidence

discontinuous tense

indirect evidence

mirative

preventive

time of acquisition