Verbs of Light in Russian and French: Lexical-Semantic Classification and Grammatical Characteristics

Abstract

This article deals with the lexical-semantic group of verbs that denote light in Russian and French. The authors compared their lexical-semantic classifications, characteristics, and grammatical parameters. The research involved the method of continuous sampling, lexical systematization, and component analysis. The paper introduces lexical-semantic subgroups of Russian and French verbs of light with their nucleus and periphery. A comparative analysis revealed some aspectual differences: Russian and French demonstrated different means of expressing some meanings and modes of action. The Russian language is synthetic and expresses these meanings lexematically. In the French language, which is analytical, these grammatical meanings do not always find their expression at the level of a single lexeme. The context and tense forms appeared to play an important role, and the verbs of light proved to be more numerous in Russian than in French. Despite the differences, the proposed classification of verbs of light turned out to be universal for both languages.

Keywords

• light signification
• semantics
• lexical-semantic group
• aspectuality
• russian
• french