Iterative/semelfactive = collective/singulative? Parallels in Slavic
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Languages |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10090203 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10090203 |
| Keywords | semelfactives; singulatives; iteratives; collectives; individuation; mereotopolog |
| Attached files | |
| Description | In this paper, I will discuss a topic concerning part–whole structures in the nominal and verbal domain. Specifically, I will address the question of whether there is a universal mechanism for the individuation of entities and events by exploring parallels between singulatives and semelfactives in Slavic. Singulatives are derived unit nouns, whereas semelfactives are punctual verbs that describe a brief event which culminates by returning to the initial state. Cross-linguistically, singulative morphology often alternates with collective marking, whereas semelfactives alternate with iteratives. Collectives and iteratives describe homogenous groupings of entities and events, respectively. From a conceptual perspective, both singulatives and semelfactives individuate to the effect of singular bounded unit reference and in the literature, the parallel between the mass count/distinction and aspect has often been drawn. In Slavic, singulative and semelfactive morphologies share a component; specifically, both markers involve a nasal -N and a vocalic component, e.g., compare Russian gorox ‘peas (as a mass)’ ~ goroš-IN-a ‘a pea’ and prygat’ ‘to jump (repeatedly)’ ~ pryg-NU-t’ ‘to jump once’. I will argue that the singulative -IN and semelfactive -NU are complex and both involve the very same -N, which denotes a declustering atomizer modeled in mereotopological terms. |
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