Shagal, Ksenia, Pavel Rudnev & Anna Volkova. 2022. “Multifunctionality and syncretism in non-finite forms: An introduction.” Folia Linguistica 56(3): 529–557.
This article is an introduction to a collection of papers discussing the identity of form and diversity of function in non-finite verb forms from a variety of perspectives. We start by illustrating the phenomenon and introducing the main functions that non-finite forms can have in the languages of the world. We provide a concise typological overview of the attested combinations of these functions and show how and to what extent these patterns are reflected in the traditional labels, such as participles, converbs, verbal nouns, and infinitives. We briefly discuss the main approaches to the phenomenon under study that have been proposed within both functional and formal frameworks. Finally, we provide a summary of the papers comprising this Special Issue, highlighting the perspectives adopted in the individual contributions.
Keywords: converbs; infinitives; multifunctionality; nominalizations; non-finites; participles; subordination; syncretism; typology; verbal nouns
I also invite everyone to consult the papers from this special issue: https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/flin/56/3/html.
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I’m Pavel Rudnev, and this is my personal website. I’m a research fellow and lecturer in linguistics at HSE University in Moscow. My main area of interest is syntax and its interfaces with sound and meaning. In particular, my current research revolves around the structure of nominal expressions, agreement, case and verbal morphosyntax in East Caucasian languages, and the syntax-to-phonology mapping in Russian Sign Language.
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