Original scientific paper

Slavic i-verbs, imperfect, and jā-stem nouns

Frederik Kortlandt ; F.Kortlandt@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Abstract

The Slavic i-verbs fall into two categories. On the one hand, verbs with an infinitive in -ěti represent earlier perfects, statives, optatives, duratives, and athematic i-presents, corresponding to Lithuanian verbs in -ėti with an i-present. These verbs regularly belong to accent class (c) in Slavic, reflecting original accentual mobility. On the other hand, verbs with an infinitive in -iti represent original causatives, iteratives and denominatives and correspond to Lithuanian causatives and iteratives in -yti, present -o, and -inti, present -ina. As a rule, the Slavic causatives and iteratives belong to accent classes (a) or (b) and the denominatives to the accent class of the noun from which they are derived. The Slavic duratives and iteratives correspond to the Lithuanian i- and o-presents, respectively, whereas the denominatives in -iti, -ěti, -ati and -ovati correspond to the Lith. derived thematic ja-presents. The derivation of the o-presents from a paradigm 3rd sg. *stastāti, 3rd pl. *stastinti explains the fact that the Slavic causatives and iteratives belong to accent classes (a) and (b), not (c). The Slavic imperfect, e.g. OCS veděaxъ, veděaše, represents a nominal ē-stem followed by the perfect of the verb ‘to be’. The ē-stem is also found in the Baltic preterit, e.g. Lith. vẽdė. The Slavic jā-stems represent original jā-stems as well as PIE proterodynamic ī/jā- and ī/jē-stems while PIE hysterodynamic ī/jā- and ī/jē-stems are reflected as Slavic ьjā-stems.

Keywords

<i>i</i>-verbs; imperfect; <i>jā</i>-stems

Hrčak ID:

158888

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/158888

Publication date:

2.6.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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