Emptiness is not so empty: The meaning of the Russian prefix &lt;i&gt;вы-&lt;/i&gt; in the natural perfective verbs

Tatiana Pozolotina

doi:10.7557/6.1296

Abstract

This paper analyzes the meaning of the so-called "empty" prefix вы- (‘out-') of natural perfective verbs in the Russian language. It is argued that the prefix is not semantically empty, but displays meanings that can be analyzed as a radial category.

Highlights

The schema below graphically presents the radial category of the meaning of prefix вы
(9) *Вымыть грязь с пола (‘towash the dirt from the floor’) (10) *Выполоскать порошок из белья (‘torinse the washing powder from the linen’) (11) *Выгладить складки из одежды (‘toiron the folds from the clothes’) (12) ?? Вычистить грязь со стола (‘toclean the dirt from the table’). As this type of meaning originates from the prototypical construal 1 meaning, the focus is on the disappearance of the trajector and the fact that the container becomes free from the trajector
Let us take a closer look at this example which shares an important component of meaning with the cases VI and VII, since the trajector does not exist before the action described by the вы-verb takes place

Summary

Introduction

The schema below graphically presents the radial category of the meaning of prefix вы-. That this extension of meaning comes from the prototypical construal 1 with the observer inside is explained by the fact that in this construal the focus is on the fact that the container becomes completely free from the trajector.

Results

Conclusion