Article

Name: On the status of certain complicated analytical forms of past tense (the Altai language data)

Authors: A. R. Tazranova

Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

In the section Linguistics

Abstract:

In the history of description of Altai tense forms, the past tense is represented by a wide range, from 2 to 8 forms (=dy, =gan, =y / AtAn, =(Y)ptYr; =yp d’at + ty; =yp + tur=dy, =GAn ӓdi, =Yp tur=gan ӓdi, =y / AtAn ӓdi, =GAn bol=gon). Therefore, the area of the past tense in the Altai language is broader than that of the present tense and future tense.

The paper offers a description and analysis of analytical forms of Altai past tense. Special at- tention is paid to complicated analytical constructions consisting of 3 components, with the first being a full verb in the form of an adverbial participle with =(Y)p, and the second – a contraction of two motion verbs: kel= ‘to come’ и bar= ‘to leave’, which, apart from their main meanings, can also serve as function elements, namely, as directive markers of direction and localization (as second elements of analytical constructions). The third element is a contracted auxiliary verb јат= ‘to lie’ (br=aat / bar=aat / barat / baradat (from < bar=yp d’at (+at)); br=aat=ty / bar=at=ty (from < bar=Yp d’at + ty); kl=eet / kel=et / kel-ed=et (from < kel=ip d’at (+at)); kl=eet=ti / kel=et=ti (from < kel=ip d’at + ty); bratkan / braatkan / baratkan (from < bar=yp d’at + kan), kletken / kleetken / keletken (from < kel=ip d’at + kan).

In the forms presented, one may observe a unification of construction elements into a single phonetic word form. At this stage, the inner structure is transparent, and it is easy to see which elements of the analytical construction are assimilated, and which auxiliary verb participates in the process of contraction. Desemantization of verb forms serves as the basis for these innovatory modifications of phonetic appearances of analytical constructions. A detailed analysis of mean- ings and usage of contracted forms and constructions in the context of their evolution is provided. The author demonstrates the polyfunctionality of these finite forms, defines their relevant mean- ings, and indicates certain aspects of their usage. Such constructions are thought to belong still to the periphery of the tense field and can be currently described as aspectual-temporal-modal forms or constructions that merely complement the verb paradigm.

Keywords: Turkic languages of Siberia, the Altai language, synthetic forms, analytical forms, complicated analytical forms, analytical constructions, temporality, past tense, finite forms, aspectuality, evidentiality

Bibliography:

Baskakov N. A. Prichastie na =dy / = ty v tyurkskikh yazykakh [Participle on = dy / = ty in Turkic languages]. In: Trudy Moskovskogo instituta vostokovedeniya [Proceedings of the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studiess]. Moscow, 1951, no. 6, pp. 205–217.

Baskakov N. A. Altayskiy yazyk [Altai language]. Moscow, AN SSSR Publ., 1958, 113 p.

Baskakov N. A. Altayskiy yazyk [Altai language]. In: Yazyki narodov SSSR. T. 2. Tyurkskie yazyki [Languages of the peoples of the USSR. Vol. 2 : Turkic languages]. Moscow, 1997, 540 p.

Grammatika altayskogo yazyka [Altai grammar]. Compiled by members of Altai Orthodox Mission. Kazan, 1869, 291 p.

Grammatika sovremennogo altayskogo yazyka. Morfologiya [Modern Altai grammar. Morphology]. Gorno-Altaysk, 2017, 575 p.

Dmitriev N. K. Grammatika bashkirskogo yazyka [Bashkir grammar]. Moscow, Leningrad, AN SSSR Publ., 1948, 607 p.

Dyrenkova N. P. Grammatika oyrotskogo yazyka [Oirot grammar]. Moscow, Leningrad, 1941, 302 p.

Erdal M. A grammar of Old Turkic. Leiden, Boston, Kӧln, 2004, 272 p.

Maysak T. A. Tipologiya grammatikalizatsii konstruktsiy s glagolami dvizheniya i glagolami pozitsii [Typology of grammarization of structures with verbs of motion and verbs of position]. Moscow, 2005, 480 p.

Nasilov D. M. Struktura vremen indikativa v drevneuygurskom yazyke [Structure of the indicative tenses in the ancient Uyghur language]. Abstract of Cand. philol. sci. diss. Moscow, 1963.

Ozonova A. A., Fedina N. N. Vremennye formy altayskogo i chalkanskogo yazykov [Tense forms of Altai and Chalkan languages]. In: Slozhnost’ yazykov sibirskogo areala v diakhronno- tipologicheskoy perspective [The complexity of the Siberian languages in diachronic-typological perspective]. Novosibirsk, Geo, 2018, pp. 228–254.

Oorzhak B. Ch. Vremennaya sistema tuvinskogo yazyka [The tense system of the Tuvan language]. Moscow, LRC Publishing House, 2014, 185 p.

Tazranova A. R. Biverbal’nye konstruktsii s bytiynymi glagolami v altayskom yazyke [Biverbal constructions in auxiliary existence verbs in Altai language]. Novosibirsk, 2005, 226 p.

Tenova L. B. Proshedshee vremya glagola v sovremennom altayskom yazyke [The past tense of the verb in the modern Altai language]. In: Problemy i metody sovremennoy lingvistiki: Sb. nauch. tr. [Problems and methods of modern linguistics: coll. of sci. works]. Moscow, 2005, iss. 1, pp. 49–53.

Shamina L. A. Analiticheskie grammaticheskie formy i konstruktsii v funktsii skazuemogo v tuvinskom yazyke [Analytical grammatical forms and constructions in the function of a predicate in the Tuvan language]. Novosibirsk, 2010, 239 p.

Tekin T. A grammar of Orkhon Turkic. Uralic and Altaic series. Bloomington, 1968, vol. 6, p. 188.

Zhirmunskiy V. M. Ob analiticheskikh konstruktsiyakh [On analytical constructions]. In: Analiticheksie konstruktsii v yazykakh razlichnykh tipov [Analytical constructions in languages of various types]. Moscow, Leningrad, 1965, pp. 5–57.