An Analysis of the Translation of German Verbs with a Non-Present Tense Meaning into Russian

Actionality & aspectuality as language categories are examined, adopting P. Lucko's (1986) definitions in the analysis of the rendition of German prefixed verbs, denoting a non-present tense meaning, with Russian perfective or imperfective forms. The differences & parallels between aspect in German & Russian are investigated, considering views expressed in the existing linguistic literature on the subject, that aspectual distinctions are not grammaticalized in the former. The results of a quantitative study, showing that in most cases (326 out of 423, ie, 76%) German prefixed verbs are translated with perfective aspect in Russian, are used as empirical evidence to contest J. Maslov's (1962) & W. Gladrow's (1998) theses that there is no aspectual correspondence between these German verbs & the Russian perfective-imperfective dichotomy, & German prefixed verbs do not convey a perfective meaning. The causes underlying the unequal distribution between the perfective & imperfective equivalents in Russian for German prefixed verbs are investigated, & a series of relevant factors is listed. The important role played by prefix separability is noted: 80% of verbs with a separable prefix were rendered with the perfective aspect in Russian. It is concluded that aspect is a regular, although facultative, category in German. The actional restrictions controlling the imperfective aspect are identical in Russian & German, but its expression means in the latter are heterogeneous & often realizable only through contextual usage. 11 References. Z. Dubiel