Sur les verbes multiplicatifs russes (étude pilote)
On Russian multiplicative verbs (a pilot study)

Summary/Abstract: The object of the paper is Russian multiplicative verbs, that is verbs denoting repeating homogenousacts, cf. šagat’ («to step»), maxat’ («to wave»), ikat’ («to hiccup»), etc. My goal is to specify the definitionof this class of verbs and to interpretate from the semantic point of view a well known systemicambiguity of some sentences with such a verb. The study is carried out within the frame of Moscowsemantic school. The problem is that there are many verbs which denote processes consisting ofrepeating homogenous acts, and still such verbs are never classified as multiplicative; cf. idti («towalk»); bežat’ («to run»); kosit’ travu («to mow the grass»), etc. The point is that in the focus ofthe meaning of a multiplicative verb are repeating homogenous acts while in the focus of idti ‘towalk’, bežat’ ‘to run’, kosit’ travu ‘to mow the grass’, etc. is purpose of action. I also demonstrate thatmeaning of many multiplicative verbs contains semantic component ‘once or more than once’, andbecause of that in some contexts they denote not series of homogenous acts but a single act. I callsuch multiplicative verbs non-strict as opposed to strict multiplicatives which always denote repeatinghomogenous acts (cf. drožat’ «to tremble for some time»). From this point of view I discussaspectual pairs like šagat’ – šagnut’, maxat’ – maxnut’. The semantic interpretation of the verbs underdiscussion allows us to reveal the direction of derivation in the pair multiplicative – semelfactive.

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