Verbal aspect and verbal conversion

Abstract

There are two topics, which the author wishes to discuss based on older and newer analysis. One refers to the structure (or 'architecture') of the verbal aspect in Czech (or other Slavic languages in general). The second refers to the conversion of aspect when translating texts or interpreting discourses from Czech (or other Slavic languages) into a language lacking aspect or, if present, having another structure (or 'architecture'), e.g. English; and in the reverse order: from any of these languages into Czech or another Slavic language. The authors analyses older and newer hypotheses referring to the verbal aspect and theory of translation. The author inclines to the hypothesis that the Czech (or Slavic) aspect is mainly characterised by markedness (Bernard Comrie). As a consequence, the author attempts to develop a clearer definition of the term aspect in the Czech (or Slavic) context.

Keywords

• aspect
• Slavic languages
• markedness
• language structure