A study of Russian converb from the point of view of text linguistics

• Project/Area Number: 17520284
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Linguistics
• Research Institution: Kyoto Sangyo University
• Principal Investigator: KITAJO Mitsushi Kyoto Sangyo University, Faculty of Foreign Languages, professor, 外国語学部, 教授 (40234257)
• Project Period (FY): 2005 – 2006
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2006)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000); Fiscal Year 2006: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000); Fiscal Year 2005: ¥2,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000)
• Keywords: converb / foreground / unique variant / perfective aspect / transitivity / subject of converb / subjectivity / inalienability / スラブ語 / ゲルマン語 / アジア圏言語 / 所有者 / 所有物 / 心的態度 / テクストの情報構造 / 完了体副動詞現在形 / 情緒的変化 / フランス文化 / 農奴解放

Research Abstract

The result of our study shows the following:
1) Russian converbs can be concerned with foregrounds, which previous studies could not have elucidated. Russian converbs of the perfective aspect formed from the stem of the present tense, which were used only in 18-19-th century, more actively participate in the foregrounds than Russian converbs of the perfective aspect formed from the stem of the past tense. Furthermore, unique variants of Russian converbs "Russian converbs of the perfective aspect formed from the stem of the present tense" are largely included in low transitivity phenomena.
2) Japanese converbs more frequently appear in the foregrounds than Russian converbs, on which subjectivity exerts a deep influence. As compared with many languages, Russian strictly adheres to a rule of the subject of converbs which coincide with the subject of finite verbs. But finding out a lot of subjects of converbs which don't coincide with subjects of finite verbs, we explicate that the degree of the subject's coincidence correlates with inalienability regarding subjects of converbs and finite verbs.

Research Products

• [Book] 他動性の通言語的研究 (2007)
  • Author(s): 角田太作他
  • Total Pages: 375
  • Publisher: くろしお出版
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Book] Typological studies of transitivity (2007)
  • Author(s): Tsunoda Tasaku, others
  • Total Pages: 375
  • Publisher: Kuroshio Shuppan
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より