An evidential is an indication of the speaker’s “opinion” in an utterance. It is often used to mark the degree of proof\/probability of the action.<\/p>\n
For instance, let’s have a look at Eastern Pomo<\/strong>, a language from the Pomo family in North America.<\/p>\n The stem p\u02b0a\u2022b\u00e9k\u02b0 <\/em>means “burnt” in a perfective state. The following suffixes can be added to the stem:<\/p>\n p\u02b0a\u2022b\u00e9k\u02b0-ink’e<\/strong><\/em> “burnt”, as the speaker feels the burn. The final suffix marks a sensatio.<\/p>\n p\u02b0a\u2022b\u00e9k-ine<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong>“[it] must have burned” ; the speaker makes a deduction based on a hint. The suffix marks a conclusion, an inference.<\/p>\n p\u02b0a\u2022b\u00e9k\u02b0-\u2022le<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong>“they said it burned”: the speaker repeats what has been said. The suffix marks a reported sentence.<\/p>\n p\u02b0a\u2022b\u00e9k-a<\/strong> <\/em>“I know that it burned”: the speaker has direct proof. The suffix marks an unquestionable, obvious fact.<\/p>\n