SOAS Research Online

Abstract

Classical Mongolian has two types of speech, direct speech and hybrid indirect speech. However, due to subsequent simplifications, we can re-label ' hybrid indirect speech' as 'indirect speech'_ Japhug Rgyalrong, Lhasa Tibetan, and Classical Mongolian have in common that the person implications of verb forms are not adjusted in indirect discourse in the way that pronouns are adjusted. Both Russian and Lhasa indirect speech share a structural system retaining the verb tense. Japhug Rgyalrong, however, differs from Russian because verb agreement is retained in Japhug Rgyalrong but adjusted in Russian. Whether Classical Mongolian is classified like Lhasa Tibetan or like Japhug Rgyalrong depends on whether one sees the Classical Mongolian verb forms with person implications as primarily encoding epistemic moods or person agreement.