Patterns of Variance in the Russian Verb: the Infinitive
Patterns of Variance in the Russian Verb: the Infinitive

Summary/Abstract: Variant (or parallel) forms occupy an important position within the grammatical structure of Russian. They represent an area of the language which is poorly defined and in which the process of codification is not yet complete. Even reference works fail to show consistency in identifying variant forms. The present investigation is concerned with variance in the Russian verb. It examines variant forms in the infinitive as the leading element in the verbal paradigm. The intention of the study is descriptive and analytical. It identifies three types of variance—prosodic, phonological and morphological—and establishes a system of classification that generates 23 = 8 groups of variants. The point of departure for the investigation is A. A. Zaliznjak’s unique work, Грамматический словарь русского языка.

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