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Chapter 5. Perfects in Baltic and Slavic

  • Peter M. Arkadiev and Björn Wiemer
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Perfects in Indo-European Languages and Beyond
This chapter is in the book Perfects in Indo-European Languages and Beyond

Abstract

This survey presents a comprehensive account of perfect constructions (based on an anteriority participle and an often optional auxiliary) in Baltic and Slavic over space and time, including dialects and high-contact minority varieties. Based on a classification by participle types and their combinations with be- and have-verbs, it provides a systematic check of renowned functions of perfect grams and evaluates accepted parameters of grammaticalisation. The most consistent common denominator of perfects in Baltic and Slavic lies in the irrelevance of most such parameters but an increase in admissible lexical input and a decrease in paradigmatic variability. The two most salient differences between Slavic and Baltic are (i) the high level of stability of voice orientation of participles in Baltic vs. the diathetic lability and repeated changes in voice orientation in Slavic, and (ii) stable systems of perfects of likely great antiquity in Baltic vs. the lack of consistently employed perfect systems in most Slavic languages.

Abstract

This survey presents a comprehensive account of perfect constructions (based on an anteriority participle and an often optional auxiliary) in Baltic and Slavic over space and time, including dialects and high-contact minority varieties. Based on a classification by participle types and their combinations with be- and have-verbs, it provides a systematic check of renowned functions of perfect grams and evaluates accepted parameters of grammaticalisation. The most consistent common denominator of perfects in Baltic and Slavic lies in the irrelevance of most such parameters but an increase in admissible lexical input and a decrease in paradigmatic variability. The two most salient differences between Slavic and Baltic are (i) the high level of stability of voice orientation of participles in Baltic vs. the diathetic lability and repeated changes in voice orientation in Slavic, and (ii) stable systems of perfects of likely great antiquity in Baltic vs. the lack of consistently employed perfect systems in most Slavic languages.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Editors’ foreword vii
  4. Abbreviations xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 2. The development of the perfect within IE verbal systems 15
  7. Chapter 3. Celtic past tenses past and present 49
  8. Chapter 4. The development of the perfect in selected Middle and New Germanic languages 95
  9. Chapter 5. Perfects in Baltic and Slavic 123
  10. Chapter 6. Paradigmatisation of the perfect and resultative in Tocharian 215
  11. Chapter 7. The synthetic perfect from Indo-Iranian to Late Vedic 245
  12. Chapter 8. The perfect in Middle and New Iranian languages 279
  13. Chapter 9. The perfect in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic 311
  14. Chapter 10. The perfect in Classical Armenian 351
  15. Chapter 11. The Hittite periphrastic perfect 377
  16. Chapter 12. The Gothic perfective constructions in contrast to West Germanic 411
  17. Chapter 13. The perfect system in Ancient Greek 435
  18. Chapter 14. The perfect in Medieval and Modern Greek 483
  19. Chapter 15. The perfect system of Old Albanian (Geg variety) 505
  20. Chapter 16. The perfect system in Latin 549
  21. Chapter 17. Calquing a quirk 591
  22. Chapter 18. The perfect in context in texts in English, Sistani Balochi and New Testament Greek 615
  23. Chapter 19. Indo-European perfects in typological perspective 635
  24. Language Index 669
  25. Subject Index 675
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.352.05ark

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Editors’ foreword vii
  4. Abbreviations xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 2. The development of the perfect within IE verbal systems 15
  7. Chapter 3. Celtic past tenses past and present 49
  8. Chapter 4. The development of the perfect in selected Middle and New Germanic languages 95
  9. Chapter 5. Perfects in Baltic and Slavic 123
  10. Chapter 6. Paradigmatisation of the perfect and resultative in Tocharian 215
  11. Chapter 7. The synthetic perfect from Indo-Iranian to Late Vedic 245
  12. Chapter 8. The perfect in Middle and New Iranian languages 279
  13. Chapter 9. The perfect in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic 311
  14. Chapter 10. The perfect in Classical Armenian 351
  15. Chapter 11. The Hittite periphrastic perfect 377
  16. Chapter 12. The Gothic perfective constructions in contrast to West Germanic 411
  17. Chapter 13. The perfect system in Ancient Greek 435
  18. Chapter 14. The perfect in Medieval and Modern Greek 483
  19. Chapter 15. The perfect system of Old Albanian (Geg variety) 505
  20. Chapter 16. The perfect system in Latin 549
  21. Chapter 17. Calquing a quirk 591
  22. Chapter 18. The perfect in context in texts in English, Sistani Balochi and New Testament Greek 615
  23. Chapter 19. Indo-European perfects in typological perspective 635
  24. Language Index 669
  25. Subject Index 675
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