The rise of invariability in the Low Lithuanian reflexive participles and verbal nouns
<p>In the Low Lithuanian dialects reflexive half-participles and verbal nouns are indeclinable and display a unique ending <em>-damos</em>, resp. <em>-imos</em>. The aim of this paper is to explain the invariability of these forms, which represents a striking feature of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Vilnius University
2015-02-01
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| Series: | Baltistica |
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| Online Access: | http://www.baltistica.lt/index.php/baltistica/article/view/2223 |
| Summary: | <p>In the Low Lithuanian dialects reflexive half-participles and verbal nouns are indeclinable and display a unique ending <em>-damos</em>, resp. <em>-imos</em>. The aim of this paper is to explain the invariability of these forms, which represents a striking feature of Low Lithuanian. It is proposed that invariability in the verbal nouns in <em>-imos</em> derives from their neuter origin, whereas in the half-participles in <em>-damos</em> it results from complex processes of phonological merging. In both cases, the preservation of invariability is due to the overall difficulty of building reflexive nominal forms of the verbs.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 0132-6503 2345-0045 |