Russian Nominal Semantics and Morphology

Cover

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Title Page, Copyright

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Contents

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Preface

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pp. ix-x

The idea of writing a book on the interaction of the lexical semantics and the grammar, in particular the morphology, of the Russian noun arose in the middle of the 1990's. For a number of reasons, the genesis of the book was long and things changed in the course of time. However, the principal idea...

1. Introduction

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pp. 1-7

This book is devoted to a broad subsection of modern Russian grammar. I consider the nominal parts of speech: nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and numerals. Adverbs, which by derivation and otherwise are closely associated with nouns, are examined where appropriate...

2. The Noun: Lexis and Grammar

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pp. 9-51

The present chapter introduces the semantic distinctions that are grammaticalized in the Russian noun and sets up a corresponding noun classification. Chapters 3-6 show how these distinctions are reflected in declensional classes and the grammatical categories, animacy...

3. The Noun: Declensional Class

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pp. 53-72

Like Slavic inflection in general, Russian noun declension is characterized by a number of alternations in both stem and desinences. The alternations are governed by a complicated set of phonological and morpho-phonological rules. Since in this presentation I wish to focus on lexical and...

4. The Noun: Animacy

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pp. 73-99

As a lexically encoded category, animacy represents an inherent property of the noun stem. A Russian noun possesses either the feature AN or the feature INAN. As already mentioned, these features are inherent (lexically encoded), i.e., independent of the particular inflectional form...

5. The Noun: Gender

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pp. 101-164

Like animacy, gender is lexically encoded. As an inherent feature of the noun stem, it is responsible for a classification of nouns into three groups: masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns. Not surprisingly, there are many points of similarity in the ways animacy and gender are formally...

6. The Noun: Number

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pp. 165-180

For this reason, number is consistently reflected in the inflection of both the noun itself and all nominaIs agreeing with the noun, whether they are used as attributes, predicates, relative pronouns, or anaphors. Russian nominals have separate sets of desinences signalling SG and PL, respectively...

7. Adjectives

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pp. 181-237

As appears from the above, adjectives are subordinate to nouns in all possible syntactic functions. This relation of subordination is signalled by agreement, i.e., by reflection of the grammatical values of the controller noun in the inflection of the adjective. All grammatical categories of the...

8. Pronouns

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pp. 239-302

Pronouns are traditionally considered to constitute a separate part of speech (for a different point of view, see Švedova 1980, I). However, how this part of speech should be delimited is a question of interpretation. Unlike nouns and adjectives, pronouns cannot be defined on the basis...

9. Numerals

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pp. 303-339

In Modern Russian, numerals constitute a separate part of speech. However, how to delimit this part of speech can be seen as a question of interpretation. In most grammars, especially those with a pedagogical profile, the definition of numerals as a part of speech rests on purely semantic...

10. Concluding Remarks

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pp. 341-343

The idea running through this book is that lexis and grammar make up a single coherent structure. The results of the investigations provide evidence for the claim that there is something that can be labeled language structure. Every language has its own overall, typologically specific structure...

References

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pp. 345-353

Index of Names

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pp. 355-356

Subject Index

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pp. 357-361

Back Cover

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