It is well-known that the Russian language has six cases: nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental, and prepositional. However, some linguists argue that Russian has a separate vocative, a locative and two genitives, such as partitive and nonpartitive genitives (Comrie 1986: 86). This term-paper demonstrates the development of the Russian case system. Since the considered subject is extremely large only three approaches will be demonstrated. The distributional approach proposed by Bernard Comrie will be compared to the approaches of A.A. Zaliznjak and A. N. Kolmogorov. This paper will begin with a quick look at the Russian case system represented by traditional academic grammars such as Russian Grammar edited by N. Ju. Švedova. Then, some new theories on delimiting cases will be presented and examined in practice. When dealing with delimiting cases, researchers have split the concept of case into two separate directions: the formal and the functional. Using different methods, linguists are trying to juxtapose these approaches to find out and eliminate the equivocations in Russian case system. There is no one-one correspondence between formal and functional approach. Finally, we will try to find out how large is the discrepancy between these two concepts in Russian and how many cases could be distinguished using these theories.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Different approaches to the distinguishing cases in Russian
2.1. The academical grammar viewpoint at the Russian case system
2.2. The extremist formal approach
2.3. The extremist functional approach
2.4. The distributional approach
3. Delimiting cases
3.1. Synthesis of cases
3.2. The second genitive: partitive genitive
3.3 The locative
3.4. The case of accounts: счетный падеж
3.5. The waiting case: ждательный падеж
3.6. The inclusive case: включительный падеж
3.7. Zalizniak's case system
3.8. The depriving case: лишительный падеж
3.9. The second dative: второй дательный
4. The comparison of all distinctive cases in Russian
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the development and delimitation of the Russian case system by evaluating three distinct linguistic approaches: the formal, the functional, and the distributional. The primary research objective is to investigate whether a more precise case system can be established in contemporary Russian beyond the traditional six-case model by analyzing potential case splits and identifying discrepancies in existing grammatical frameworks.
- Comparative analysis of formalist and functionalist linguistic theories.
- Application of Bernard Comrie’s distributional approach to Russian nominals.
- Evaluation of "new" proposed cases such as the locative, partitive, and inclusive cases.
- Critical review of Zalizniak’s expanded fourteen-case classification system.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2 The 'extremist' formal approach
The roots of the extremist formal approach can be traced to the beginning of 19th century. With the development of mechanic oriented linguistics (the formalism), new methods and theories have appeared. One of them is the formal 'extremist' approach. The formal approach groups words of the same case according to their inflections, disregarding the meaning and function. Not only morphemes but also certain morphophonemic processes, such as prosodic patterns of case formation are relevant to this approach. Roman Jacobson (1871: 24) characterized this method as follow:
Man versucht die Form von ihrer Funktion und speziell die Einheit einer grammatischen Kategorie von der Einheitlichkeit ihres Bedeutens loszureißen. [...] es entstehen solche monströsen wissenschaftlichen Versuche wie eine Morphologie, welche auf die Formbedeutungen ganz und gar keine Rücksicht nimmt (Jakobson 1971: 24).
Marty, a supporter of formalism, defines cases as follow “die Kasus seien nicht Träger je eines generellen Begriffes, sondern vielmehr Träger eines ganzen Bündel von verschiedenartigen Bedeutungen”. (Jakobson 1971: 24)
In order to illustrate how this approach works and to show all its disadvantages, let's take a look at the declension of two nouns sojuz 'union' and lapa 'paw' in the singular.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the thesis, presenting the traditional six-case Russian system and introducing the alternative formal, functional, and distributional theories to be analyzed.
2. Different approaches to the distinguishing cases in Russian: Explores historical perspectives, specifically critiquing the academic grammar approach, the extreme formalist view, the functionalist view, and the distributional methodology.
3. Delimiting cases: Investigates specific potential case categories including the partitive, locative, 'case of accounts', 'waiting case', and 'inclusive case', while evaluating the models proposed by Zalizniak, Comrie, and others.
4. The comparison of all distinctive cases in Russian: Provides a synthetic overview of the 22 proposed case distinctions and discusses the practical viability of implementing such an expanded system within Russian linguistics.
Keywords
Russian case system, distributional approach, formal approach, functional approach, nominative, genitive, accusative, dative, locative, partitive genitive, morphophonemic, nominal declension, linguistic morphology, Zalizniak, Comrie.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on the delimitation of the case system in Russian, questioning the traditional six-case model and exploring alternative theories to define case categories.
What are the central thematic fields?
The central fields include linguistic morphology, syntax, distributional analysis, and the historical development of case theories within Russian grammar.
What is the core research question?
The research asks how large the discrepancy between formal and functional approaches is and how many distinct cases can be identified when applying modern linguistic methods.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The author primarily utilizes a comparative methodology, juxtaposing traditional academic grammar with the distributional approach of Bernard Comrie and the systems proposed by A.A. Zalizniak.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body examines various approaches to case definition, analyzes specific cases like the locative, partitive, and inclusive cases, and compares these against existing morphological structures.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Russian grammar, distributional approach, case delimitation, morphophonemic processes, and synchronic linguistic characterization.
Why is the "waiting case" (ждательный падеж) significant?
It is significant because it highlights a functional discrepancy in object usage after specific verbs like 'ждать', suggesting a developing case distinction based on animacy.
How does the author view the 22-case model?
While the author identifies 22 potential cases, they conclude that such a system would be "grotesquely uneconomical" for practical use, favoring a simpler model despite historical or morphological nuances.
- Quote paper
- Magister of Philology Yana Movchan (Author), 2009, The delimitation of the case system in Russian, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/138803
