148 Epistemic Parentheticals
Second, they occur with statements of more general opinion or truth, often
with expressions with generic or universal reference, e.g., a wyf (8a) or alle
thyng (8b):
(8) a. “A wyf ne shal nat seyn of hir housbonde/ But al honour, as I kan under-
stonde .” (1387– 1400 Chaucer, CT B.Sh. 167– 68)
‘A wife should not see of her husband anything but honor, as I can
understand’
b. “That ‘alle thyng, repeirynge to his kynde,/ Gladeth hymself’; thus seyn men,
as I gesse .” (1387– 1400 Chaucer, CT F.Sq. 608– 09)
‘That “every thing, returning to his kind, rejoices,” thus say men, as I guess’
Third, they co- occur with statements of expected consequences or results of
actions, as when the Sultan’s mother says that a feast will serve to repay the
Sultan (9a) or Troilus predicts that lovers will take offense if he tells them the
worst (9b):
(9) a. “And I shal swich a feeste and revel make/ That, as I trowe , I shal the Sowdan
quite.” (1387– 1400 Chaucer, CT B.ML 353– 54)
‘And I shall such a feast and revel make that, as I believe, I shall the Sultan
requite’
b. “But, tolde I yow the worste point, I leve ,/ Al seyde I soth, ye wolden at me
greve.” (1380– 86 Chaucer, TC I 342– 43)
‘But I told you the worst point, I believe, if I told you the truth, you would be
angry at me’
Fourth, they may occur with stated expectations concerning the actions or
reactions of others, as when the Host expects that the pilgrims will want enter-
tainment on their journey (10a), or Palamon tells Arcite that he knows that he
will not break his oath (10b):
(10) a. And wel I woot , as ye goon by the weye,/ Ye shapen yow to talen and to
pleye.” (1387– 1400 Chaucer, CT A.Prol. 771– 72)
‘And well I know, as you go by the way, you intend to tell tales and amuse
yourselves’
b. “ I woot right wel , thou darst it nat withseyn.” (1387– 1400 Chaucer, CT
A.Kn. 1140)
‘I know quite well, you dare not deny it’
Fifth, they are attached to statements expressing the possible, presumed, or
required causes of events (or their lack of causes), as when the Canon Yeoman
points to the cause of his red complexion (11a), or Criseyde blames Pandarus
for causing problems with his talk (11b):
(11) a. “I am so used in the fyr to blowe/ That it hath chaunged my colour, I trowe .”
(1387– 1400 Chaucer, CT G.CY 666– 67)