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Home Editorial board Publication ethics Information Current Archive Rules for authors Contacts	THE MEANS OF EXPRESSING THE CATEGORY OF MODALITY IN THE TEXTS OF THE BIBLE (AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE ENGLISH, GERMAN AND OSSETIAN TRANSLATIONS OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT) Dreeva, Dzhanetta M. , Otroshenko, Anastasiya I. , Semenova, Tatyana V. Kavkaz Forum. 2026. Issue 26. Abstract: The article, devoted to the problem of representing category of modality in translated texts, is aimed at identifying and comparing lexical and grammatical means of expressing epistemic and non-epistemic modalities in the XXth century English, German and the modern Ossetian Bible translations. The research is conducted on the material of the texts of the Sermon on the Mount from Menge Bible and the American Standard Version, as well as the Ossetian translation. The study employs a complex methodology including methods of contextual, semantic, comparative analyses and elements of quantitative analysis. The research reveals certain patterns of implementing the category of modality in Bible translations. Based on the analysis, the conclusion is drawn about a high frequency of Subjunctive mood verbalizing epistemic modality in German and Ossetian. Inversion is revealed as a means of strengthening the degree of knowledge reliability in the English translation, whereas modal verbs expressing obligation and possibility are proved to be used significantly more frequently in the English and German texts compared to the Ossetian one. The extensive use of Imperative is found to verbalize non-epistemic meaning of volition in all the analyzed translations. The use of lexical means of implementing modality is uncharacteristic of the analyzed texts. The novelty of the work is determined by comparative approach to the study, that accounts for scrutinizing the Bible translations into structurally different languages. The researchers attempt to trace the correlation between the language means of verbalizing the category of modality in the translated texts and various national worldviews. Keywords: the category of modality, epistemic modality, non-epistemic modality, lexical units, lexical-grammatical means, translated texts, the Scriptures. Language: English Download the full text For citation: Dreeva, D.M., Otroshenko, A.I. Semenova, T.V. The Means of Expressing the Category of Modality in the Translated Texts of the Bible (as Exemplified by the English, German and Ossetian Translations of the Sermon on the Mount). KAVKAZ-FORUM. 2026, iss. 26 (33), pp. 35-51. (In English). + References 1. Usol’tsev, D.E. Zapovedi blazhenstv (Mf. 5:3–11): logiko-semanticheskii analiz [Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3–11): Logical-Semantic Analysis]. Bibleiskie skholii [Biblical studies]. 2024, iss. 2 (5), pp. 13–22; https://doi.org/10.31802/BSCH.2023.5.2.001. 2. Mitr. Ilarion (Alfeev). 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Novyi zavet [The New Testament] [Web-site]. URL: https://ironau.ru/nf.html (in Ossetian). 16. Menge Bibel. 1939 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://gratis.bible/de/meng39/ (in German). 17. Sattsaev, Eh.B. K voprosu o nakloneniyakh v iranskikh yazykakh [On the mood in Iranian languages]. Izvestiya SOIGSI [Proceedings of the North Ossetian Institute for Humanitarian and Social Studies]. 2017, iss. 26 (65), pp. 84–91. 18. Gurova, N.V. Kategoriya pobuditel’nosti i ee funktsii v politicheskoi kommunikatsii [Category of exhortation and its functions in political communication]. Politicheskaya lingvistika [Political linguistics]. 2011, iss. 4 (38), pp. 79–86. ← Contents of issue


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