Scalarity in the Verbal Domain The Case of Verbal Prefixation in Russian

Verbal prefixes in Slavic languages remain an intricate and puzzling phenomenon, raising questions about whether their behavior is governed by a systematic pattern, and if their attachment is subject to any kind of uniform semantic system. Olga Kagan offers a new unified analysis of Russian verbal prefixes which combines a formal semantic approach with detailed discussion of data. The book addresses two vital issues, both of which play an important role in modern linguistic research: the role of scalarity in natural language and, more specifically, within the verbal domain; and Slavic verbal prefixation. Accessibly written and illustrated with numerous examples, Scalarity in the Verbal Domain is important reading for researchers and students of formal semantics, cognitive linguistics and Slavic languages.

1. Scalarity and verbal prefixation; 2. The prefixes po-, na- and pro-; 3. The prefixes do-, nedo- and pri-; 4. The prefixes pod- and pere-; 5. The prefixes ot- and za-; 6. Prefixes characterized by stronger restrictions; 7. The scale hypothesis: principles and parameters; 8. Prefixational genitive; Conclusion.

Olga Kagan is a lecturer at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.