A CONTRASTIVE STUDY OF CZECH AND RUSSIAN ASPECT

This thesis examines the usage of aspect in Czech and Russian on a contrastive basis. It is a data-oriented study based on syntagmatic analysis. Thus, it examines the choice of the imperfective or the perfective aspect in relation to other sentential elements.;In Chapter One goals and methods of this thesis are explained and the main terms defined. Differences and agreements in usage of aspect are treated in Chapters Two and Three. Repetitive temporal contexts, i.e., contexts established by adverbs expressing repetition, are discussed in depth decause here Czech and Russian differ the most. Such notions as variation in the use of aspect, ambiguity of Russian aspectual forms, behavior of motion verbs and influence of grammatical number are given particular attention. Furthermore, choice of aspect in sentences with adverbs expressing duration, gradual progression, and conclusion is discussed. Chapter Three analyzes modal meanings expressed by perfective nonpast as well as the use of aspect in negated and imperative sentences and in sentences expressing past actions with present results.;Chapter Four summarizes the main tendencies in aspectual usage, critically discusses the issue of invariant meaning, considers certain historical implications based on my contemporary contrastive analysis, and suggests several topics for further research.;One of the conclusions this study arrives at is that aspect is not a semantic category but the morphological reflex of contextual factors marked on the verb; it is the result of an interplay of various factors that create a peculiar enviromnent for the choice of aspect. The main factors influencing the choice are the following: the type of verbal action which the verb describes (i.e., an iterative action, process, activity, state, event, achievement, or accomplishment), the type of verb (a lexical classification), and such sentential elements as adverbs.