Chapter 7. The synthetic perfect from Indo-Iranian to Late Vedic
-
Eystein Dahl
Abstract
This paper outlines the origin and development of the synthetic Perfect from Indo-Iranian, the reconstructed common ancestral stage of the Iranian and Indo-Aryan languages, to Vedic, the oldest attested stage of Old Indo-Aryan. Comparative evidence from Old Iranian, Homeric Greek and a number of other Indo-European languages shows that this morphological category ultimately originates from Proto-Indo-European. In the course of its history, the synthetic Perfect develops from a P-oriented stative construction in Indo-European, via an anterior construction in Indo-Iranian to a general past tense with an emerging indirect evidential sense in Old Indo-Aryan. The present contribution highlights the various stages of development reflected in Vedic, but it also includes reference to the Indo-Iranian prehistory of the Vedic Perfect, as well as to its demise in later stages of Indo-Aryan. The development of the Indo-Iranian Perfect indicates that anterior categories tend to be rather unstable diachronically.
Abstract
This paper outlines the origin and development of the synthetic Perfect from Indo-Iranian, the reconstructed common ancestral stage of the Iranian and Indo-Aryan languages, to Vedic, the oldest attested stage of Old Indo-Aryan. Comparative evidence from Old Iranian, Homeric Greek and a number of other Indo-European languages shows that this morphological category ultimately originates from Proto-Indo-European. In the course of its history, the synthetic Perfect develops from a P-oriented stative construction in Indo-European, via an anterior construction in Indo-Iranian to a general past tense with an emerging indirect evidential sense in Old Indo-Aryan. The present contribution highlights the various stages of development reflected in Vedic, but it also includes reference to the Indo-Iranian prehistory of the Vedic Perfect, as well as to its demise in later stages of Indo-Aryan. The development of the Indo-Iranian Perfect indicates that anterior categories tend to be rather unstable diachronically.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Editors’ foreword vii
- Abbreviations xi
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. The development of the perfect within IE verbal systems 15
- Chapter 3. Celtic past tenses past and present 49
- Chapter 4. The development of the perfect in selected Middle and New Germanic languages 95
- Chapter 5. Perfects in Baltic and Slavic 123
- Chapter 6. Paradigmatisation of the perfect and resultative in Tocharian 215
- Chapter 7. The synthetic perfect from Indo-Iranian to Late Vedic 245
- Chapter 8. The perfect in Middle and New Iranian languages 279
- Chapter 9. The perfect in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic 311
- Chapter 10. The perfect in Classical Armenian 351
- Chapter 11. The Hittite periphrastic perfect 377
- Chapter 12. The Gothic perfective constructions in contrast to West Germanic 411
- Chapter 13. The perfect system in Ancient Greek 435
- Chapter 14. The perfect in Medieval and Modern Greek 483
- Chapter 15. The perfect system of Old Albanian (Geg variety) 505
- Chapter 16. The perfect system in Latin 549
- Chapter 17. Calquing a quirk 591
- Chapter 18. The perfect in context in texts in English, Sistani Balochi and New Testament Greek 615
- Chapter 19. Indo-European perfects in typological perspective 635
- Language Index 669
- Subject Index 675
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Editors’ foreword vii
- Abbreviations xi
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. The development of the perfect within IE verbal systems 15
- Chapter 3. Celtic past tenses past and present 49
- Chapter 4. The development of the perfect in selected Middle and New Germanic languages 95
- Chapter 5. Perfects in Baltic and Slavic 123
- Chapter 6. Paradigmatisation of the perfect and resultative in Tocharian 215
- Chapter 7. The synthetic perfect from Indo-Iranian to Late Vedic 245
- Chapter 8. The perfect in Middle and New Iranian languages 279
- Chapter 9. The perfect in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic 311
- Chapter 10. The perfect in Classical Armenian 351
- Chapter 11. The Hittite periphrastic perfect 377
- Chapter 12. The Gothic perfective constructions in contrast to West Germanic 411
- Chapter 13. The perfect system in Ancient Greek 435
- Chapter 14. The perfect in Medieval and Modern Greek 483
- Chapter 15. The perfect system of Old Albanian (Geg variety) 505
- Chapter 16. The perfect system in Latin 549
- Chapter 17. Calquing a quirk 591
- Chapter 18. The perfect in context in texts in English, Sistani Balochi and New Testament Greek 615
- Chapter 19. Indo-European perfects in typological perspective 635
- Language Index 669
- Subject Index 675