Conjugational Types in Croatian

• Main Authors: Zrinka Jelaska, Tomislava Bošnjak Botica
• Format: Article
• Language: Croatian
• Published: Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje 2019-01-01
• Series: Rasprave: Časopis Instituta za Hrvatski Jezik i Jezikoslovlje
• Subjects: verbs; conjugation; verb typology; Croatian language
• Online Access: https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/325775
• ISSN: 1331-6745; 1849-0379

This paper analyses a new classification of verb conjugation types in Croatian, which is based on both their canonical form – the infinitive, which is the non-finite verbal form par excellence, and the basic form – the present, which is on the other end of the finiteness scale. The first chapter provides a brief overview of Croatian conjugational typology, starting from the grammar by B. Kašić (1604) until the most recent grammars by Silić and Pranjković (2005), as well as Jelaska (2015), ranging from one up to twenty-nine categories. The recent typologies within structuralist, generative and cognitive approaches are described in more detail, especially in Jelaska and Bošnjak Botica (2012), where prototype-based categorization is argued for as the most appropriate categorization. The second part of the paper analyses some properties of the present classification into three groups (a, i, e) and ten types within them: the shape, productivity, size, usage and the relations between them. The data consists of 24,400 Croatian verbs, which are categorized into groups, types and subtypes. The first group has only one type as member (verbs such as <i>gledati</i>), the second has three members (verbs such as <i>moliti</i>, <i>vidjeti</i> and <i>trčati</i>), the third has six (verbs like <i>pisati</i>, <i>smijati se</i>, <i>putovati</i>, <i>davati</i>, <i>viknuti</i>, <i>ići</i>).