UNIFORMITY AND DIVERSITY IN TURKIC INCEPTIVE CONSTRUCTIONS.

Constructions encoding 'to begin to' display a great formal diversity in the Turkic languages. The differences concern both the auxiliary segment and the linking segment. This diversity is counterbalanced by certain features that are shared either by the majority of the Turkic language family or by only some of its members. The present study will investigate the main similarities and differences between inceptive constructions in Turkic both from a synchronic and a diachronic perspective. A special focus will be placed on combinations that involve the auxiliary bašla-, an item that is particularly widespread. The main types of constructions attested with this auxiliary will be identified, and possible factors involved in the development of these types will be determined. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the typology and diachronic development of inceptive constructions in the Turkic languages and to draw attention to a topic that has yet to be investigated in detail from a comparative perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]