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The book is dedicated to the study of the causes and mechanisms of syntactic change in Slavonic languages, including internally motivated syntactic change, syntactic change under contact conditions (structural convergence, pattern replication, shift-induced transfer etc.): It also explores metalinguistic factors such as ideologically driven selection and propagation of syntactic structures.

This volume presents a number of contributions to the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Slavic Linguistics Society held in Szczecin, Poland, October 26–28. The largest number of articles address issues related to the (morpho)syntactic level of language structure, and several papers describe results of recent research into different aspects of Slavic linguistics as well. The current volume proves conclusively that Slavic linguists make a remarkable contribution to the development of various theoretical frameworks by analysing linguistic evidence from richly inflected languages, which allows them to test and modify contemporary theories and approaches based on other types of data.

Die Vorgeschichte des slavischen Aoristsystems proposes a new look on the paradigmatic organization of the finite verb in Proto-Slavic. It rests on the study of the diachronic and synchronic conditioning of paradigmatic preferences of Proto-Slavic primary verbs and is shown to account for the complementary distribution of partially syncretistic aorist stem formations into six classes (bases of the systematic description adopted here). Major development trends reveal clear parallels with other Indo-European branches. Along with the discussion of paradigmatic constellations, diachronic background, etymology and grammar, the work comprises a nearly complete attestation of aorists and past participles of primary verbs including prefixal compounds in canonic OCS and those outside the canon, and is designed as an extensive reference book both for Indo-Europeanists and Slavists.Die Vorgeschichte des slavischen Aoristsystems bietet eine neue systematische Beschreibung des älteren gemeinslavischen Verbalsystems aus synchroner und diachroner Perspektive. Im Zentrum steht die nahezu vollständige Erfassung und Bewertung der Aoristformen des Altkirchenslavischen. Sie erscheinen hier in neuer paradigmatischer Klassifikation (in sechs Klassen), mit ausführlicher Dokumentation ihrer Beleglage und ihrer synchronischen Oppositionen (: Präsens- und Infinitivstämmen, Partizipien). Die systematische und historische Konditionierung der paradigmatischen Präferenzen primärer Verbalstammbildungen wird neu beleuchtet. Ihre sprachgeschichtliche Verankerung wird im Vergleich mit inner- und außerslavischen Entsprechungen nach dem aktuellen Stand – unter Einschluss der Prosodie – dargestellt. Das Buch eignet sich als Referenzorgan zum slavischen Verbum für Slavisten, Indoeuropäisten und allgemeine Sprachwissenschaftler.

This volume represents an overview of current research on Slavic linguistics in Europe and North America based on selected papers presented during the 6th Annual Meeting of the Slavic Linguistics Society (September 1-3, 2011, Aix-en-Provence, France). It includes topics across a range of linguistic fields (morphosyntax, syntax, and semantics) and discussions on specific aspects of Slavic languages within a typological perspective. All the papers illustrate a range of approaches, and each paper presents rigorous analysis of a set of Slavic data within the context of various models and aspects of language. While the main focus of the collection is impersonal constructions in Slavic languages, the book also includes morphological topics, such as reflexives, antipassive and evidential markers, syntactical relations with zero sign, auxiliary verbs and subordinate clauses, and semantics of nouns, adverbs and adjectives. The volume will be of interest to all scholars studying Slavic languages as well as those interested in general linguistics and linguistic typology.

Focusing on issues of case theory and comparative grammar, this study treats selected problems in the syntax of the Slavic languages from the perspective of Government-Binding theory. Steven Franks seeks to develop parametric solutions to related constructions among the various Slavic languages. A model of case based loosely on Jakobson's feature system is adapted to a variety of comparative problems in Slavic, including across-the-board constructions, quantification, secondary predication, null subject phenomena, and voice. Solutions considered make use of recent approaches to phrase structure, including the VP-internal subject hypothesis and the DP hypothesis. The book will serve admirably as an introduction to GB theory for Slavic linguists as well as to the range of problems posed by Slavic for general syntacticians.