You want to be careful: Advice as the only emerging modal use of want to/wanna, or shifting frames?

Abstract

The current contribution considers the use of the emerging modal forms want to / wanna for the speech act of advice with reference to two cognitive frameworks, viz. force dynamics and frame semantics. It is held that a volitional semantic core is projected in terms of wanting as a force dynamic experience which extends to the addressee as a mental extrapolation. In frame semantic terms the resulting speech act generates a new frame and new participant roles, so that the category “Attempt_suasion” is proposed as an addition for the verb form want in FrameNet. The interprations in terms of both theoretical frameworks are further supported by the case of second person want to / wanna for advice with an added question tag, representing respectively a lifted barrier and a frame shift, and illustrating the added potential of the forms in terms of face, when compared to the modal should.