Abstract
This article provides some observations on how the Russian prefix za- functions in relation to loan verbs. Out of 270 unprefixed loan verbs, 241 verbs with the prefix zawere attested and analyzed. Such a high activity (89.2%) of the prefix can be explained by its wide polysemy. Among the high frequency verbs, the prefix demonstrates its perfectivizing function when its spatial semantics correlate with that of the base-verb or implicate it. For the rest of the za-verbs, although less frequently used, inchoative and intensive semantics are observed. However, while inchoative semantics are recognized only among the verbs of certain semantic groups, intensive semantics are distributed more widely. Among loan verbs, several verbs denote the process of assigning some features to the object, and therefore suggest the degree of intensity of the action and productively connect to the verbs. On the other hand, among loan verbs, there are not many verbs that designate physical actions and are subjected to various spatial modifications. Spatial modification per se is not a characteristic of the prefixation of loan verbs.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have