On Sco -Verbs, Prefixes and Semantic Functions: A Study in the Development of Prefixed and Unprefixed Verbs from Early to Late Latin (review)

The subtitle of this book is a more accurate description of its content than the title. The author describes his work as ‘a contribution to the discussion of verbal prefixes in Latin and their relationship to the “Aktionsarten” or . . . . . “forms of action”’ (3). The topic is treated synchronically as well as diachronically and within a well-defined and well-attested subset of verbs: those with the suffix -sco (e.g. splendesco, cognosco, aresco), although other verbs are treated as well. The author has chosen sco-verbs as the domain within which he will investigate prefixation because they are numerous, attested in all periods of Latin, thus facilitating a diachronic inquiry, and they occur prefixed as well as unprefixed in both subsystems, the infectum and the perfectum, of the Latin conjugational unit. The choice of domain means that he cannot avoid devoting a large part of his discussion to the grammar and history of -sco. Thus, each of the formal oppositions (i.e. -sco vs. non-sco, and prefixed vs. unprefixed) and associated grammar is examined individually and as it interacts with the other in each subsystem of the Latin conjugational unit. The book has eight sections: ‘Introduction’ (1–42), ‘On forms of action and semantic functions’ (43–136), ‘On semantic functions and style’ (137–248), ‘On the semantic functions of the prefixes’ (249–393), ‘The sco-families’ (394–449), ‘Conclusions’ (450–60), ‘Indices’ (461–517), and ‘Bibliography’ (518–33). It should be noted that the Latin data are not translated, which is unfortunate in a study potentially valuable to aspectologists whose language specialization is other than Latin.

Sections 2 and 3 comprise the analysis and discussion of the data. Section 2 examines the formal oppositions -sco vs. non-sco (e.g. aresco vs. areo) and prefixed vs. unprefixed (e.g. concalesco vs. calesco, and concalui vs. calui, their respective perfects) with respect to the grammatical oppositions dynamic vs. nondynamic and terminative vs. nonterminative. For Early Latin, Haverling concludes that the function of -sco in unprefixed verbs—generally in the infectum and sometimes in the perfectum—was to convey dynamic (i.e. developing in time) nonterminative (i.e. processual) events, noting that -sco had lost this function by the time of Late Latin. The addition of a prefix, whether or not -sco was present, rendered verbs terminative (i.e. referring to the beginning or end of the event). This, too, changed with time.

Section 3 extends and refines the findings of Section 2 by examining the word-formative properties of -sco verbs (i.e. whether they are underived or derived, and if the latter, whether the word-formative base is another verb, a noun, or an adjective) and their stylistic level. The purpose is to determine which sco-verbs were compatible with prefixation and the systemic basis for their compatibility.

This book assumes acquaintance with basic grammatical concepts (e.g. categories, Aktionsarten, binary oppositions, event types) but otherwise requires little knowledge of theory, contemporary or other. Its value lies very much in this fact. The relative absence of theoretical machinery renders the author’s observations and conclusions accessible and clear, which is especially important in view not only of the author’s two-fold approach, synchronic and diachronic, but also of the complication introduced by considering prefixation in the context of a set of verbs, i.e. those with -sco, which is itself evolving and of which the synchronic status vis-à-vis the occurrence of associated prefixed and perfect formations is disputed. The exposition, although difficult because it is not always reflective of the author’s statement that his study is one of prefixation rather than of sco-verbs, makes available a substantial amount of Latin data, offering carefully considered discussion which will be of interest to all aspectologists, especially those specializing in Indo...