Mirativity and the near deixis copula dule in Neo-Aramaic

•Analysis of the near deixis copula as a mirativity marker in Neo-Aramaic is carried out.•The gradual semantic shift from a deictic/presentative function to mirative is demonstrated.•Separate cognitive tiers for mirativity and evidentials are suggested.•The separation is based on distribution of respective markers.•The existing framework of mirative sources and expressions is reorganised.

This paper presents a possible mirative reading of the constructions with the near deictic copula and its cognates in a group of Neo-Aramaic dialects from north-eastern Iraq. It is here argued that providing a diachronic perspective on the markers of mirativity supports the stand which regards mirativity as separate from evidentiality. However, even when mirativity is considered a modal category on the morphosyntactic and semantic level, on the level of communication, it shares similar functions with evidentiality, especially when perfect and deictic/presentative markers are concerned. The analysis results in expanding the existing framework of mirativity to include, next to its well-recognised sources such as the resultative, also the deictic and presentative forms.