The Slavic imperfect

From: Sergejus Tarasovas
Message: 17600
Date: 2003-01-14

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Sergejus Tarasovas
<S.Tarasovas@...>" <S.Tarasovas@...> wrote:

> Xaburgajev et al. argued the imperfect is a late areal (south-
western
> Balkans) innovation, though unfortunately I don't remember the
> details.


I still can't provide you with the details, but at least I can give a
reference.

Georgij Xaburgajev in "Pervyje stoletija slavjanskoj pis'mennoj
kul'tury" (Izdatel'stvo Moskovskogo universiteta, 1994) writes:

"Tol'ko balkanskim slavjanskim govoram byl svojstven i
kodificirovannyj Konstantinom [i.e., St. Cyril -- S. T.] imperfect
(javljavs^ijsja, vidimo, praslavjanskim dialektnym novoobrazovanijem,
otsutstvovavs^im v govorax za Dunajem i v Vostoc^noj Jevrope [sm.
Xaburgajev G. A. _Drevnerusskij i drevnepol'skij glagol v sravnenii
so staroslavjanskim (k rekonstrukcii praslavjanskoj sistemy
preteritov). // Issledovanija po glagolu v slavjanskix jazykax.
Istorija slavjanskogo glagola. -- Moscow, 1991, s. 37-49])... suffiks
imperfekta obrazovalsja v rezul'tate soc^etanija aoristnogo affiksa -
x-/-s^- (no uz^e ne *s [he probably means the obviously analogical
nature of *x in that case -- S. T.]) i davnego iterativnogo affiksa -
a- (sr. _prosi-ti_ --> _pras^-a-ti_), kotoromu fakul'tativno [thus he
argues that so called "contracted" forms are at least in some cases
the froms without this "optional" affix -- S. T.] mog preds^estvovat'
affiks -e^- (iz *-e:-), vyraz^ajus^c^ij ideju sostojanija [tam z^e,
s. 48-49]".

Sergei