Morphologization of the Modal Particle in the

The Kartvelian (South Caucasian) group embraces four languages: , Svan, Megrelian and Laz. Out of these languages, only Georgian is a written language; Svan, Megrelian and Laz are non- written languages. The was distinguished from the others at an earlier stage (19th century B.C.), whereas Megrelian and Laz were separated much later (7th century A.D.). The Kartvelian languages are agglutinative, the prefixal and suffixal morphemes preceding and following the root usually perform a single function. The morphological model embraces not only grammatical markers but also obligates, which in morphotactics are conditioned by phonotactic necessity, and modal elements, the grammaticalization (morphemization) of which is not complete yet; such elements are found in the initial sound and final sound of the morphological model and form a kind of carcass; a generalized scheme for Megrelian and Laz without obligates may be represented as follows: PTC:MODn=[AFF-PRV-PRFV-S/O-FV-R-TH-PM-S/O-PL]=PTC:MODn The given paper aims to describe the process of morphologization of a concrete modal particle “unda” on the synchronic level and to carry out historical-comparative analysis of the issue: the ways of desemantization of the modal particle and its transformation into the functional element, the results presented on the synchronic stage of language development. The natural morphonological correlates of unda verb stem: Georgian - u-n-d-a (FV-R-IMP-S3.SG) : Laz - u-n-o-n (FV-R-IMP-S3.SG) : Svan - x-o-n-i (O3-FV-R-S3.SG); the archetype of the root -n can be restored to the level of common Kartvelian proto language. In Megrelian, another stem appears: ok’o, which has identical correlates in Svan and Laz. The functions of the given particle are identical in the Kartvelian languages. It denotes desire, necessity, debitive/obligation. In all the Kartvelian languages the particle unda is capable of forming constructions of four types, out of which (1), (2) and (3) are represented by the verb form which changes in person and number, whereas construction (4) is a rigid form of third person, combined with all persons and numbers. (1) [N(NOM)+ V] – nominal nominative construction; (2) [MSD(NOM) +V]- infinitive nominative construction; (3) [V+V] – biverbal construction; (4) [PTC+V]- construction with a particle. Unlike the standard , in the of the and non-written Kartvelian languages the process of grammaticalization takes place; the analysis of the synchronic data of the languages has proved the following: 1. In some the particle unda is represented in the phonetically reduced variants na/ nda / da / a; 2. In the Megrelian language, grammaticalization of the particle ok’o (must) is completed, the phonetically reduced element -k’o is included in the conjugation paradigm and is used to form the subjunctive, as well as derivational based on the subjunctive; in Megrelian the process of morphologization in completed: -k’o is viewed as a morpheme forming the subjunctives and conditionals;

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3. In the , two parallel particles are used: a) -k’o, which has undergone the same type of morphologization as in Megrelian and has transformed into a marker, b) A particle which corresponds to the Georgian unda which is the enclitic of the verb stem without reduction and also participates in the verb conjugation paradigm, forming new screeves. 4. In the Svan languages, xek’ves also expresses modality, but it is a conjugated form and creates biverbal constructions. Diachronic analysis proves that postposition is an obligatory factor for the grammaticalization of verb forms (both auxiliary and main verbs) and modal elements. At the end of the process of grammaticalization, the phonetically reduced and functionally transformed element becomes enclitic; the reduction (erosion/depreciation) of a morpheme is not obligatory for the clitic, however, it is necessary for the formation of a morpheme, and is a marker of the completed process of grammaticalization. Grammaticalization, as a process taking place in the languages under analysis, may be represented as follows:

diachrony/ historical process synchrony [desemantization = decategorization] > [grammaticalization=categorization] > result 1. Notional verb > auxiliary verb > morpheme. 2. Notional verb > particle (modality) > morpheme. Based on concrete examples, the paper analyzes the functions of the particle unda in the Kartvelian languages and offers conclusions from the viewpoint of historical-comparative linguistics.

Reference: Boeder W., Notwendigkeit im Swanischen, in: Kaukasiologie heute. Festschrift für Heinz Fähnrich zum 70. Geburtstag. Herausgegeben von Natia Reineck und Ute Rieger unter Mitarbeit von Wolfgang Zippel. Jena [Greiz/Thüringen: Buchverlag König], 2015, pp. 17-47 Kartozia G., Gersamia R., Lomia M., Tskhadaia T. Linguistic Analisys of Megrelian Language, Tbilisi, 2010 Kartozia G., Laz Language and its place in the System of Kartvelian Languages, Tbilisi, 2005 Lehmann Ch., Thoughts on grammaticalization, A programmatic sketch. Vol. 1, Vol. 48, Arbeiten des Kölner Universalien- Project. Köln: Universität Köln [Revised edition Thoughts on grammaticalization. 1995. Münhen: LINCOM]. Sarjveladze Z., Fahnrich H., Etimological lexicon of Kartvelian Langugaes, Tbilisi 1989 Sharashenidze N., Grammaticalization of unda form in Georgian, Historical linguistics of the Caucasus, Paris-Maknachkala 2017, p. 177-182 Heine B., Grammaticalization. The Handbook of Historical Linguistics. Ed. Brian D. Joseph & Richard D. Janda. Blackwell publishing.

AFF-Affirmative, FV- Functional Vowel, IMP- Imperfect, MOD-Modal particle, MODn –Modal particles, MSD- Masdar, NOM-Nominative, O-Object, PRV-Preverb, PRFV-Perfective, PTC-Particle, PL- Plural, R-Root, SG-Singular, S-Subject, TH- Thematic Marker, V -Verb, 3 - 3rd person.

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