This chapter summarizes the main results stemming from the double-Headed analysis of relative clauses proposed in this volume, with particular reference to the unification of all the attested relative clause types.

This chapter introduces the main goals of the volume: a unified analysis of all the attested relative clause types under both a 'raising' and a 'matching' derivation.

This chapter examines the different ways in which the internal Head is represented inside the relative clause (as an empty position, a pronominal, an epithet,etc.).

We develop the mereological property of distance to explain the aspect and Aktionsart contingency of modal verbs. While the link between perfective-resultative aspect and root modality seems to be solid, aspectual imperfectivity is in no such solid connection with epistemic modality. The question is why this is so.

The ubiquitous notion of subjectivity (or subjectification) is critically scrutinized. It will be shown that a certain class of discourse particles and a solid class of modal verbs in German are specific carriers of a wide set of modalities: intransitive ones with root and epistemic modalities expressed by verbs, and transitive modalities as emanating from and the speaker to the hearer and back.

Modal verbs form a closed class of verbs in German(ic) to the extent that have a very particular origin and property: they come from a preterit stem, have ablaut, and behave correspondingly in modern contexts. Their shift of interpretation between root and epistemicity is due to aspectual contexts. In contrast to all other verbs, verbal clusters (modal verb embedding another verb) are built without the preposition TO. Modal verbs with an epistemic reading have a syntax radically different from that of roots: they cannot be embedded, but appear only as heads of clusters.

Conversational and conventional implicatures prevalent in the usage of modal particles explain deeper commonalities between modal particles, topic/thema, illocutionary force, and focus. As modal particles occur between free focus and verum focus, mirative unexpectedness is enacted. We discuss mirative import specified by the legacy of modal particle sources.

This chapter revolves around the context dependent shifts between root and epistemic modality. Perfective contextual aspect triggers modal root (deontic) readings, imperfect contextual aspect elicits epistemic or evidential readings. Different scopes of negation are considered. It is shown with material from German that epistemic and evidential interpretations are different on several criteria. Person origo is responsible for an epistemic differential.

Be/have+v trigger covert modality in root (but not epistemic) terms: necessity and probability. They do this in several distributional forms the main being subject relative infinitives and object relative infinitives. In addition. Gerundial forms as substitutes for the infinitive enter the modal construction in german. As epistemic readings of xp is to v and xp has to v are excluded, the nonfinite epis-temic gap hypothesis is taken up again and brought (again) to a conclusion: the non-finite status of complements does not lend itself for epistemic readings.

This chapter introduces to theoretical concepts of modality: von Wright’s modal logic and its modifications in terms of what languages provide to give expression to modality. It is shown that modality is a future oriented notion, something that is wished, feared, forbidden, and allowed to happen in the future. Interestingly, modal verbs are highly aspect sensitive such that certain connections with lexical verbs are impossible or shifting between root modality and epistemic modality. perfective-imperfective embedding choice of modal verbs.