Diathesis shift in the prefixal derivation of perfective verbs with prefixes ot-, pro-, and o(b)- in modern Russian

The study examines diathesis shift in perfective verbs derived by prefixation in Modern Russian, investigating the interrelationship between syntactic and semantic shifts in verb derivation. Unlike much of the previous work on prefixation in Russian which focus on the semantic shifts accompanying derivation the study of diathesis shift examines the interrelationship between the syntactic and semantic effects of prefixal perfectivization. The study identifies the aspectual function of perfectivizing prefixes as quantification. Verbal prefixes are examined as lexical-derivational operators which quantify the action referred to by the base verb, potentially producing morphological, syntactic, and semantic effects on the argument structure of the predicate. The goal of the study is to identify how verbal prefixes functioning as lexical-derivational operators effect change in syntactic argument structure and establish how these syntactic changes reflect shifts in semantic valence. The study is limited to non reflexive perfective verbs derived with the verbal prefixes ot-, o(b)-, and pro-, focusing primarily, but not exclusively on bivalent verbs derived from intransitive bases. In defining and classifying the type of diathesis shifts brought about by prefixation with ot-, o(b)-, and pro---the study evaluates the role of the lexical semantics of the base verb and the semantics of prefix in producing derived bivalency.