Verbikesksed ühendid sotsiokultuuriliste kategoriseerijatena eesti uuemas lastekirjanduses
Verb-centered constructions as socio-cultural allocators in contemporary Estonian children’s literature

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents a preliminary attempt to use literary texts for the linguistic analysis of gender-specific verbs. The verbs and situation types under investigation are described on the basis of the texts of two Estonian authors: Aino Pervik and Heiki Vilep. The general goal of the analysis is to compare verb-centered constructions used with female and male characters to determine the possible differences in the general frequency of verbs and in the usage of verbs in different situation types. On the basis of the data (914 verb occurrences), it can be argued that the two female characters created by the two different authors are similar, taking into account the frequency order of verbs and also the distribution of dynamic-static and telic-atelic verbs or situation types. The same tendency occurs with male characters. Aspectual features of verb-centered constructions demonstrate the different distributions of verbs between situation types: verbs describing the activities of boys in most cases have duration (verbs used for activities, accomplishments and states), while the verbs used with girls most often show results (achievements). Verbs describing mental states are used more frequently with girls, and verbs denoting the initiating of actions are used more frequently with boys. The frequency list of verbs used with girls (1) olema “to be”, 2) minema “to go”, and 3) võtma “to take”) and those used with boys (1) hakkama “to begin/start”, 2. tahtma “to want”, and 3) tegema “to do”) presents a system of different values, where female characters are described as conservative and practical, and male characters as initiative and active. It can be assumed, even from the preliminary analysis of the restricted number of verb-constructions presented here, that both male and female, and younger and older authors can be influenced by stereotypes occurring in the society while creating male and female characters in their texts.

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