Between the Beginning and the End: On Intraterminality in Latin

The object of the research is the subfield of intraterminality (middle phase) as one of the components of the functional-semantic field of phasality in Latin. The analysis shows that intraterminality is a complex formation that combines the meanings of the progressive aspect (the situation in the development), the durative aspect (the lasting situation characterized by some duration) and the continuative aspect (the continuation of the situation). The actualization of semes of durativity, progressivity, and continuativity joined under the "umbrella" of intraterminality depends on two factors, namely, on the actional semantics of predicates and the context. Durativity providing some lasting and immutability belongs, first of all, to static situations that cannot be transformed. Contrary to static predicates, dynamics ones (Vendlerian activities, accomplishments and achievements) are more suitable to express progressivity as far as they provide some kind of transformation. Continuativity can be expressed by static and dynamics predicates. In such a case, the decisive factor is the context which denotes the continuing of a situation. In neutral contexts, the boundaries between durative and progressive meanings are often blurred, which in turn complicates their differentiating and thus allows a dual interpretation. In contrast to some modern languages that express intraterminality (or its partial realizations) by special grammatical forms, Latin is deprived of specific means for its expression, and different grammatical and lexical means are used for this purpose. Like in other languages with the lack of special grammatical forms, in Latin, intraterminality is expressed by forms produced from the infectum stem that mark the situation as a lasting one and do not include the initial and the final starting point. This meaning is typical for the indicative mood of the present tense and the indicative imperfective. The periphrastic construction "participium praesentis activi + esse" was sporadically used to express durative and/or progressive meanings which, unlike synthetic forms, stressed the characteristic of the subject. Continuativity can be expressed by lexical means, especially by basic verbs with the meaning of continuation together with predicate actants expressed by the infinitive or more rarely by the gerund. The continuation of the situation can also be emphasized by different adverbial modifiers that indicate the time of its duration. The performed analysis shows that Latin does not differ essentially from other languages in the expression of intraterminality and its semantic varieties that are expressed by the grammatical and lexical means as well as in the context.

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