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Chapter 6. Aspects of motion

On the semantics and pragmatics of indeterminate aspect
  • Olga Kagan
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New Approaches to Slavic Verbs of Motion
This chapter is in the book New Approaches to Slavic Verbs of Motion

Abstract

In this paper, I investigate the semantic and pragmatic properties of the indeterminate imperfective aspect exhibited by verbs of motion in Russian. As pointed out by Forsyth (1970), indeterminate verbs are associated with a wide range of usages, which include iterativity, habituality, motion in multiple directions, and naming the type of motion. While iterativity seems to constitute a good candidate for a property that unifies all these usages, I argue that the indeterminate aspect does not entail event repetition. I argue instead that this aspect constitutes an identity function and that the aspectual restrictions imposed on sentences which contain indeterminate verbs are pragmatic, rather than semantic, in nature. I show that these restrictions are derived from independently motivated pragmatic principles.

Abstract

In this paper, I investigate the semantic and pragmatic properties of the indeterminate imperfective aspect exhibited by verbs of motion in Russian. As pointed out by Forsyth (1970), indeterminate verbs are associated with a wide range of usages, which include iterativity, habituality, motion in multiple directions, and naming the type of motion. While iterativity seems to constitute a good candidate for a property that unifies all these usages, I argue that the indeterminate aspect does not entail event repetition. I argue instead that this aspect constitutes an identity function and that the aspectual restrictions imposed on sentences which contain indeterminate verbs are pragmatic, rather than semantic, in nature. I show that these restrictions are derived from independently motivated pragmatic principles.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Contributors ix
  4. Introduction. Verbs of motion in Slavic languages 1
  5. Part I. Diachrony of motion expressions
  6. Chapter 1. Clause and text organization in early East Slavic with reference to motion and position expressions 15
  7. Chapter 2. Indeterminate motion verbs are denominal 47
  8. Chapter 3. Common Slavic “indeterminate” verbs of motion were really manner-of-motion verbs 67
  9. Chapter 4. PIE inheritance and word-formational innovation in Slavic motion verbs in -i- 111
  10. Part II. Synchronic approaches to aspect
  11. Chapter 5. Perfectives from indeterminate motion verbs in Russian 125
  12. Chapter 6. Aspects of motion 141
  13. Chapter 7. Verbs of motion under negation in Modern Russian 163
  14. Part III. Typological approach to the study of Slavic verbs of motion
  15. Chapter 8. Semantic composition of motion verbs in Russian and English 197
  16. Chapter 9. Motion events in Polish 225
  17. Chapter 10. The importance of being a prefix 247
  18. Chapter 11. Variation in the encoding of endpoints of motion in Russian 267
  19. Chapter 12. Verbs of rotation in Russian and Polish 291
  20. Chapter 13. Aquamotion verbs in Slavic and Germanic 315
  21. Chapter 14. Metaphorical walking 343
  22. Chapter 15. Russian verbs of motion 361
  23. Author index 383
  24. Language index 387
  25. Subject index 389
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.115.10kag

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Contributors ix
  4. Introduction. Verbs of motion in Slavic languages 1
  5. Part I. Diachrony of motion expressions
  6. Chapter 1. Clause and text organization in early East Slavic with reference to motion and position expressions 15
  7. Chapter 2. Indeterminate motion verbs are denominal 47
  8. Chapter 3. Common Slavic “indeterminate” verbs of motion were really manner-of-motion verbs 67
  9. Chapter 4. PIE inheritance and word-formational innovation in Slavic motion verbs in -i- 111
  10. Part II. Synchronic approaches to aspect
  11. Chapter 5. Perfectives from indeterminate motion verbs in Russian 125
  12. Chapter 6. Aspects of motion 141
  13. Chapter 7. Verbs of motion under negation in Modern Russian 163
  14. Part III. Typological approach to the study of Slavic verbs of motion
  15. Chapter 8. Semantic composition of motion verbs in Russian and English 197
  16. Chapter 9. Motion events in Polish 225
  17. Chapter 10. The importance of being a prefix 247
  18. Chapter 11. Variation in the encoding of endpoints of motion in Russian 267
  19. Chapter 12. Verbs of rotation in Russian and Polish 291
  20. Chapter 13. Aquamotion verbs in Slavic and Germanic 315
  21. Chapter 14. Metaphorical walking 343
  22. Chapter 15. Russian verbs of motion 361
  23. Author index 383
  24. Language index 387
  25. Subject index 389
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