Phenomenon of anisotropy in the group of germanic preterite-present and inchoative verbs as a factor of analytization

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to find out the influence of anisotropy on the process of analytization which causes the development of the future tense forms in the Germanic languages.  The analytization of temporal (the future tense in particular) forms is connected with the separation of the initial formant in the analytical morphological temporal forms. The initial formant varies in the East, West, and North Germanic languages performing one and the same function of future time preference. Comparison of different Germanic languages gives the possibility to trace the gradual analytization of verb grammatical forms, and to find out individual group features which are characteristic for preterite-present and inchoative verbs.

The subject of the research is peculiarities of the factors which cause creation of initial formants in future tense forms. On the initial stage the Proto-Germanic verb group was characterized with the feature of isotropy. The weak features of primary anisotropy appeared when preterite-present and inchoative verbs were distinguished as initial formants. Simultaneously different verb groups reflecting heterogeneization of the initial formant created the background for formant anisotropy.

Heterogeneity and anisotropy are closely connected and influence each other. Primary anisotropy has biaxial feature. The first axis is based on the preterite-present group, the second one is represented in the inchoative group. This biaxial nature is preserved as a proto-background for the whole verb system. Having passed the process of gradual grammaticalization, inchoative verb group was transformed into the tense auxiliary verbs. Preterite-present verb group was heterogenized into present and past tense sub-groups. The stage of secondary heterogenization reflected secondary anisotropy with the same biaxial structure. Differentiated present and past auxiliary verb forms preserving biaxial structure got different functions strengthening heterogeneity which caused tertiary stage reflected in the tertiary anisotropy. It established confirmed forms for the future tense and the oblique mood where initial formants gained their final functional individuality.  

Heterogeneity and anisotropy are closely connected processes; they both are responsible for the analytical verb forms development in the Germanic languages giving a motive force to the further development of the whole verb morphological structure pushing it from the stage of isotropy to the position of anisotropy differentiating initial and final formants of analytical forms which brought spare flexibility to the verb system of the Middle and New Germanic languages.