Transitivity and Aspect in Sahidic Coptic: Studies in the Morphosyntax of Native and Greek-Origin Verbs

Abstract

The study clarifies certain details of the Coptic verbal system, such as diathetic classes of labile verbs, semantic classes of non-labile mutable verbs, stative: infinitive opposition, the functional range of the periphrastic construction, integration of Greek loan verbs into Coptic valency alternation system and the role of the loaned morphology in that system. In all these problems, we find manifested the interaction between two grammatical categories, transitivity and aspect. The introductory chapter briefly states the research objectives and gives a general overview of the linguistic material and theory employed. The first chapter studies major regularities in the transitivity alternations of native Egyptian verbs. Defining the Coptic conjugation system by two parameters, aspect and transitivity, I examine the functions of the absolute infinitive as the only unmarked form opposed, on the one hand, to transitive eventive construct forms, and on the other hand, to intransitive stative. The system of conjugation patterns is analyzed as a templatic system where a specific conjugation pattern ascribes not only tense, aspect, and modus, but also voice to an unmarked verbal form. Finally, the native verbs are classified into four groups based on the formal criteria of mutability and lability, and this classification is found to correlate with the semantic one based on the agentivity and telicity of verbal lexemes. I also look into the diachrony of the aspect-transitivity cluster and use the two-parameter model to explain various synchronic anomalies of Coptic verbal valency. The second chapter looks into semantic and grammatical factors triggering the use of the periphrastic pattern <ϣⲱⲡⲉ + circumstantial clause> which is shown to fulfil the whole range of functions, from punctual passive to resultative, depending on the lexical properties of the verb. The third chapter explores the diathesis of Greek loan verbs in Sahidic. Valency-changing devices for Greek verbs are examined and compared with those operating on native verbs. The occasional use of Greek middle-passive suffix is analyzed as the vestige of parallel system borrowing.