What is -met'-, -mut'- verbal suffix in Ukrainian? -Reply

[Zenon M. Feszczak]

>>>>>>>>>>
Dear colleagues,

Another problem I can't seem to answer by ordinary research:  What do verbal
 forms suffixed by -met' or -mut' (in Ukrainian) mean?  For example:

ponovliatymut'  buduvatymet'sia

Thanks again for your patience,  --Loren (billings at mailer.fsu.edu)

<<<<<<<<<<

Hello again -

The verb form to which you refer is another way of
expressing the future imperfect.

In meaning, this is equivalent to using the other form,
"buty" (to be) + infinitive.

The buty+infinitive form is more common, especially among
bilingual Russian/Ukrainian speakers, as this form unites
the languages, while the other future form gives a very
distinct Ukrainian flavor to one's speech.   Which
is not to say a provincial flavor, but some may consider
it so.    At any rate, the infinitive form is more widely
used, though any fluent Ukrainian speaker will understand
both.

Note that the infinitive form also gives one more
flexibility of sentence structure (and hence nuance and
emphasis) since the "futureness" (a new word?) and the
_content_  of the action are contained in two separate
words, which could be placed together or stretched pages
apart in an endless sentence a la James Joyce.
(Examples of this technique ommitted for the sake of
bandwidth and the ecosystem).

Vs'oho najkrashchoho -

Zenon M. Feszczak
Re-Visionist