ON THE SEMANTICS OF VERBS OF MOTION IN RUSSIAN

OLGA KAGAN

Abstract

Proceedings of IATL 23

The purpose of this paper is to provide a formal semantic analysis for the determinate / indeterminate aspectual contrast exhibited by verbs of manner of motion in Russian (e.g. idti vs. xodit' (walk)). I propose an intensional approach to determinate verbs that is based on the analysis of the English progressive developed by Dowty (1979). Further, I argue that indeterminate aspect constitutes an identity function and that the aspectual restrictions imposed on sentences which contain indeterminate verbs are pragmatic, rather than semantic, in nature.



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