----- Original Message -----From: tgpedersenSent: Friday, December 22, 2006 5:17 PMSubject: [tied] Re: Ablaut, hi-conjugation, stress alternation, etc> > Last things first.
> >
> > I am sure the excellent Slavicists on this list will be able to
> > expand and amplify what I am about write.
I think so too.
> > > It is absolutely wrong to say that "preverbs made simple verbs
> > > punctual". Preverbs provide a wide variety of derivational
> > > nuances, only one of which is perfectivity. Perfectivity has
> > > nothing intrinsically to do with punctuality.
Aha.
> > All preverbs make simple verbs punctual in Russian, from all I've
> > heard. That's good enough for me. And if the Russians can do it,
> > so could the PIEers.
> Well, I am not a Slavicist by any means, so I will not characterize
> your statement as wrong but in my opinion it is.
Thank you.
> The contrast in Russian, at least, is between perfective and
> imperfective.
I concur.
> The perfective preverb pro- produces prochitayu, 'I shall read
>_through_'. This, to me, is clearly durative rather than punctual.
This website seems to disagree with your absolute truth and
clearliness
http://russian. speak7.com/ russian_verbs***
Your source says: " for the present . . . just use the imperfective."
This is clearly wrong, and your source is meant for novices.
Now, I would ask you to review the previous discussion above.
You write: "All preverbs make simple verbs punctual in Russian."
Some preverbs make Russian verbs _perfective_! Do you not know the difference between perfective and punctual???
Patrick
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