aspect?

[John Dunn]

One problem with prefixes is that because unprefixed verbs often have several more or less related meanings it is often possible to add the same prefix to the same root to produce what are effectively two or more different verbs.   One way of resolving the contradiction suggested by the different responses is to posit that there are two separate verbs дорешать with the additional complication that they belong to different aspects (cf. сходить).

дорешать 1. Imperf. (perf. дорешить): to finish deciding

дорешать 2. Perf. (imperf. решать): to finish considering or examining; to finish going through a a process which may (or may not) result in a decision; to finish trying to solve (e.g. a crossword).    

The difference is slight, but 1. imperfectively describes an action containing successful outcome (a decision or series of decisions); 2. perfectively describes a process (which is completed or brought to a certain point), but without necessary reference to the outcome.

John Dunn.


From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of R. M. Cleminson [rmcleminson at POST.SK]
Sent: 25 April 2013 11:45
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] aspect?

The prefix до-, despite its meaning, does not automatically perfectivise a verbal root to which it is attached, because one can be in the process of completing something.  Thus there are many aspectual pairs with the prefix, such as додавать/додать, доделывать/доделать, etc., which correspond morphologically to other pairs formed from the same roots with other prefixes (отдавать/отдать, отделывать/отделать, etc.).  The prefix до- is also productive, which means that it can form verbal pairs that are not (yet) in the dictionary; дорешать/дорешить is one of those, and corresponds morphologically to отрешать/отрешить, предрешать/предрешить.  One must therefore conclude that дорешать is imperfective.
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