A Contrastive Study of Deontic Modality in George Orwell’s Animal Farm

Modality is characterized by the important fact that it may be found within the grammar of all languages, which cannot be said of mood, for instance, another category of grammar. The present paper aims to identify deontic modal markers, specifically four English modal verbs, in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and analyze the grammatical / lexical instruments used for rendering them into five Romanian translated editions. The conclusions reveal that, although English seems easier in lexicalizing the meanings of modality, Romanian tends to be more explicative and thus, more comprehensive, due to its analytic character, which provides it with more variety in the choice of words.

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