This workshop aims to bring together linguists working on exclamatives which cooccur with a complementizer, as well as scholars who work on epistemic modal adverbs in exclamations. The workshop is programmed within the research project The syntactic and interpretative properties of certain modality expressions in Basque: discourse particles, modality adverbs, exclamative force and its relation with complementizers, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Specifically, we are interested in studying how exclamative modality– is syntactically realized through different linguistic expressions, especially if they do not involve Q-operators, and which are apparently equivalent in their function. The elements we would like to consider are namely mirative particles, epistemic adverbs of the type of certainly, maybe; discourse particles and related categories that may appear in exclamative contexts and contribute to express the speaker's attitude towards what he or she is saying. In addition, the workshop contemplates to address the issue of the presence of the complementizer in exclamative sentences. We seek to elucidate whether the complementizer is indicating a specific clause type, whether it is marking insubordination, a mark of illocutionary force, or is rather indicating some other value. We invite abstract submissions addressing these and similar issues related to exclamatives and epistemic modal adverbs and we would be pleased to receive proposals from a typologically diverse range of languages.
We are pleased to confirm the following keynote speakers for the workshop:
1.- Alessandra Giorgi (Ca' Foscari University of Venice)
2.- Xabier Villalba (Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, UAB)
3.- Cristina Sánchez (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
Abstract submission:
• Abstract proposals should clearly state the research question(s), approach, data, and (expected) results. • Abstracts should contain the title and a text of no more than 2 pages (including references, examples, tables, keywords, etc.), and have 2.5 cm (1 inch) margins on all sides, and be set in Times New Roman with a 12pt font. • The submission must be anonymous and not reveal the identity of the author(s) in any way (neither their affiliations nor addresses).
• Submissions are limited to two per author, with at most one paper being single-authored.
• Abstracts should be submitted in PDF format to vasfunproject@gmail.com; by November 20, 2025)
Workshop date: February 18, 2026
Abstract submission deadline: November 20, 2025
Notification of acceptance: December 20, 2025
Meeting venue: Faculty of Arts, University of the Basque Country (EHU)
Contact (email): vasfunproject@gmail.com
Submission (email): vasfunproject@gmail.com
Organizing committee: Arantzazu Elordieta (University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU), Xabier Artiagoitia (University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU) Sergio Monforte (University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU).