Linguistic modality and self-expression in digital discourse: a qualitative study of Whatsapp responses in Yochi village, Zambia

Abstract

This study examined the role of linguistic modality in self-expression among residents of Yochi Village in Zambia. Modality is a semantic feature that reflects a speaker’s attitude or opinion toward a propositions, assertions, desires, hypotheses, and obligations. The study analyzes 29 participants’ WhatsApp reactions to a local radio report about the fatal shooting of a notorious thief by police. An exploratory qualitative design coupled with a thematic and contextual analysis revealed that participants primarily employed deontic, epistemic, bouletic, and teleological modalities, further categorized into necessity, possibility, obligation, desire, and opinion. Findings indicate that opinion and desire were the most frequent modal expressions, highlighting modality’s role in shaping social interactions and truth-value negotiations. Generalizability requires further research in diverse contexts within and beyond  Zambia.