The Function of the Russian Non-Prepositional Accusative in the Background of Historical Development.
Keywords:
simple accusative, case system of Russian, direct object, trensitive verba, predicative, historical development of RussianAbstract
Expression of a direct object of transitive verbs or predicates is a basic and primary function of the accusative. All other functions are adverbial and they are considered secondary. The accusative of a direct object is rooted in Indo-European language. Ancient Slavonic language and later individual Slavonic languages inherited a system of cases where the accusative had represented a function of a case of a direct object from Indo-European language. Using material from Russian language it is possible to emphasise specific peculiarities of the accusative functioning as an object. The accusative with this meaning is exemplified with numerous instances in Ancient Russian manuscripts. A direct object expressed with a simple accusative of transitive verbs describes most often an object which represents aim of the action. A range of verbs with which a non-prepositional accusative appeared to mark an object to which an action is aimed was much wider in Ancient Russian language. There were verbs conveying meaning of feelings, thinking and speaking in this group. These verbs could be also accompanied with a prepositional construction in Ancient Russian. Ancient Russian language did not strictly differentiate occurrences where the accusative expressed a direct object, on which an action of a subject was focused, and when it is an indirect object, on which an action of a subject is not focused but it was located in area of its interest. Contemporary Russian language distinguishes direct and indirect object. In Ancient Russian language a simple, non-prepositional accusative was used also in such instances where contemporary Russian language permits only constructions with a preposition.
Simple, non-prepositional accusative was also used in its adverbial sense for marking time and place in Ancient Russian language. It can be stated that Ancient Russian constructions of adverbial of place correspond more with the current state than constructions representing adverbial of time. Nevertheless, it is necessary to emphasise that using a non-prepositional accusative with semantics of place was limited in Ancient Russian language and those constructions were consequently replaced by constructions with prepositions.
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