Number 2
Graduate Working Papers

'To Be' in Russian

Galina Tuniks
University of Colorado

Published 2019-11-11

Keywords

  • russian

How to Cite

Tuniks, G. (2019). ’To Be’ in Russian. Colorado Research in Linguistics, 2. Retrieved from https://journals.colorado.edu/index.php/cril/article/view/11

Abstract

The Russian verb bytˈ 'to be' has different functions in different constructions. It is argued that it therefore represents several different verbs. A number of tests applied to sentences containing bytˈ show that there are four such verbs: a tense marker, which is a surface structure insert, and three deep, or deeper, surface inserts: the copula, the form that links the subject with an adverb, and the true verb.