Polypredicative Sentences of the General Following in the Buryat Language: Search of Differentiation Parameter

Abstract

The article aims to discover suitable parameters for differentiation of polypredicative sentences of the general following in the Buryat language. This aspect is expressed by four variable postpositive participle constructions to be differentiated. The most difficult point was to find semantic and other parameters that would allow to reveal system relations within a group of meaningfully close constructions (according to traditional descriptions those are full synonyms). The author applies parameters of variation linguistics and diverse semantic parameters to differ between the constructions. Oppositions of variation linguistics are formed on the basis of certain styles and dialects, as well as temporary and social frameworks of use. Semantic oppositions include assessment, norm/aberration, discrepancy of expectations, lexical and grammatical restrictions, reference characteristics (same-subject constructions / different-subject constructions). The search of suitable parameters was carried out primarily within the Buryat language by means of analysis of elements of constructions and contexts of their use. Parameters resulting from analysis of other languages, first of all Russian, as well as data from typological works were checked. The research revealed and identified stylistic, functional and semantic preferences in the use of separate constructions. Firstly, this facilitates learning the language, secondly, drafts a way of development of each construction within this semantic group. A bookish variant of constructions of the general following is the construction with the postposition udaa. A semantic opposition as per time of the two events was revealed between the central constructions with the postpositions γüülde and γüüleer (in case of a postposition in the instrumental case the time interval gets extended). Another construction of the type with the postposition γoyno used to express a measure of time in a dependent part (other constructions are impossible) nowadays also successfully competes with the postposition γüülde but differs from the latter by its predominantly different-subject implementation.