The research reported in this book has been made possible by a number of research grants: by VNC project G.0470.03 on “Modal auxiliaries and other expressions of modality in Dutch” (2003–2006), project G.0443.07 on “The diachrony of Dutch modal expressions, especially the auxiliaries” (2007–2010) and FWO/NWO lead agency project G.0A18.15 N on “De-auxiliarization in the Dutch and English modals: A comparative diachronic corpus investigation” (2015–2018), all funded by the Research Fund Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen); by Interuniversity Attraction Poles (IAP) project P6/44 on “Grammaticalization and (inter)subjectification” (2007–2011), funded by the Science Policy Department of the Belgian Federal Government; by a Concerted Research Actions (GOA) project on “Mood and modality” (2003–2006) and a New Research Initiatives (LP) project on “A diachronic investigation of the Dutch mental state predicates” (2012–2016), both funded by the Research Council of the University of Antwerp; and by a sabbatical leave for the academic year 2015/2016, funded by the Research Fund Flanders and the Research Council of the University of Antwerp.

Earlier versions of the research reported in parts of this book were published before. Chapter 3 draws on Reference Nuyts, Klinge and MüllerNuyts (2005a), and to a lesser extent on Reference Nuyts and FrawleyNuyts (2006) and (Reference Nuyts, Nuyts and van der Auwera2016b). Section 4.3 is a substantially modified version of parts of Reference NuytsNuyts (2009b). Section 5.1 is based on Reference NuytsNuyts (2008), parts of Section 5.2 on Reference Nuyts, Diepeveen, Byloo, Sandra, Rymenans, Cuvelier and Van PetegemNuyts, Diepeveen and Byloo (2007). Parts of Section 5.3 are modified versions of parts of Reference Nuyts, Marin-Arrese, Haßler and CarreteroNuyts (2017). Chapter 6 integrates revised parts of Reference NuytsNuyts (2012a), (Reference Nuyts, Zuczkowski, Bongelli, Riccioni and Canestrari2014) and (Reference Nuyts2015). Parts of Section 7.1 draw on parts of Reference Nuyts and BrisardNuyts (2002) and (Reference Nuyts2009b), and Section 7.3 is based on sections from Reference NuytsNuyts (2009b) and (Reference Nuyts, Brdar, Gries and Žic Fuchs2011). In all these cases the presentation is adapted to the present context, and there is often substantial elaboration and/or modification of the analyses and views, as compared to the predecessors, in view of new insights.