Original scientific paper

Slavic–style aspect in the Caucasus

Vittorio S. Tomelleri ; Dipartimento di Ricerca Linguistica, Letteraria e Filologica

Abstract

Cross–linguistically, the expression of the aspectual opposition ’Perfective–Imperfective’
by means of preverbs is a quite rare phenomenon; the label ’Sla vic–style aspect’ proposed
for this derivational category reflects the fact that the Slavic lan guage family
(Russian above all) has, until recently, been the primary source of assumptions and
data about as pect. However, similar systems are to be found also in other languages
and lan guage families, which can be compared and ar ranged along a scale according
to their degree of grammaticalization. The present article is a first attempt to compare
and describe typologically some aspectual or aspectual–like features of three languages
spoken in the Caucasus, Russian, Georgian and Ossetic; it discusses their beha viour
and illustrates some pa ra me ters of variation within this category. Further, the possibility
of con tact induced changes is briefly illustrated.

Keywords

aspect; Slavic languages; Caucasian languages

Hrčak ID:

55666

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/55666

Publication date:

13.7.2010.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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