Trans-germanic peculiarities of preterite-present verbs

• Main Authors: Andriy Botsman, Olga Dmytruk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv 2020-03-01
• Series: Актуальні проблеми української лінгвістики: теорія і практика
• Online Access: https://apultp.knu.ua/index.php/APULTP/article/view/85
• ISSN: 2311-2697; 2523-4870

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/APULTP.2020.40.140-155 This article contains systematic and detailed analysis of morphological and semantic parameters of Germanic preterite-present verbs, dividing them into major and minor subgroups. The development of both preterite-present subgroups and their steady transformation into the modal verbs is a specific feature of all Germanic languages. Since the modal verbs of the Modern Germanic languages are morphologically defective, it is commonly assumed that preterite-present verbs of the old Germanic languages lost some of their morphological features in the process of turning into modal verbs. The semantic aspects of this process are rather obscure. All Germanic languages were losing some preterite-present verbs in the process of transformation from the Gothic language, which had fourteen preterite-present verbs. In OE there were twelve preterite-present verbs. Six of them survived in NE. The morphological description  focuses on the finite and non-finite forms of the preterite-present verbs, which belong to the minor subgroup. The detailed description helps to see the origin and development of the minor subgroup in the new light. The description encompasses the data of classical Indo-European languages and Old Germanic languages. The authors emphasize the expediency of turning to the theory of preterite/strong verb origin, the verbs in question may be regarded as inter-group, hybrid units. In order to gain insight into the origin of the Germanic languages it is necessary to look into the history of the Gothic and West Germanic and North Germanic languages. The authors find it useful to compare common and different phenomena, highlighting individual specific processes taking place in the process of development of the Germanic languages. These languages are analyzed on different stages of their development, but inline with the view that the languages co-operated and coexisted in the same area. The data given in the article are used to analyze the problem implementing comparative grammar tools. The authors were particularly careful to take all grammatical forms into consideration while working with the lexical units from the ancient sources. Some additional information was taken from Greek, Latin and Sanskrit to produce reliable and consistent comparison of the German language with the rest of Indo-European languages. Key words: preterite-present verbs, Germanic languages, Common Germanic roots, semantic derivation, grammatical cooperation. Information about the authors: Botsman Andriy Vasylovych – Ph.D. in Chemistry, Ph.D. in English Philology, Associate Professor; Associate Professor of the Department of English Philology and Intercultural Communication; Institute of Philology; Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Dmytruk Olga Viktorivna – Ph.D. in English Philology, Associate Professor; Associate Professor of the Department of English Philology and Intercultural Communication; Institute of Philology; Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. E-mail: [e-mail]; [e-mail]   REFERENCES Bennet, W. H. (1980). An Introduction to the Gothic Language. New York: Modern Language Association, 190 p. [in English]. Braun, F. (1922). Die Urbevölkerung Europas und die Herkunft der Germanen. Berlin: Halle a.d. Saale. 278 s. [in German]. Braune, W. (1981). Gotische Grammatik. Auflage. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag. 205 s. [in German]. Feist, S. (1924). Indogermanen und Germanen. Berlin: Halle a.d. Saale. 348 S. [in German]. 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