The expression of modality in Shangaci

Shangaci is a Bantu language spoken in Mozambique by an ever-decreasing number of speakers. Like nearby Koti (Schadeberg and Mucanheia 2000) it is a Makhuwa variant that has been influenced by Swahili. The main part of this paper is dedicated to a description of the ways in which modality is expressed following the definition of modality as formulated by van der Auwera and Plungian (1998). The degree of formal homogenity of the modal system in Shangaci is discussed and special attention is paid to modal markers with multiple meanings. The relevance of van der Auwera and Plungian''s definition of modality for Shangaci is questioned.