MEANS OF EXPRESSION OF THE INCHOATIVE IN RUSSIAN SIGN LANGUAGE

The paper examines means of expression of the inchoative in Russian Sign Language. It has been shown that the inchoative can be marked both morphologically and lexically. The choice of inchoative marker is determined by verb's aspectual class and singleness/iteration of event. The beginning of single event can be expressed by the sign STAND (for statives) and by the sign BEGIN (for activities or accomplishments). The beginning of iterative event can be marked by the sign BEGIN or by the context (structure `before it was X, now it is Y'). The most regular markers of the inchoative are verbs BEGIN, BEGIN1, STAND. The verb BEGIN is labile phase verb, in other words it can convey meanings 'to perform the first or earliest part of some action', 'to come into action'. The verb STAND develops the meaning 'become' under the influence of Russian spoken language; this sign is basically used as inchoative verb. The sign BEGIN1 conveys special type of inchoative meaning: the action is characterized by further development and improvement. Morphological means of expression of the inchoative are suppletive forms and modification of sign. Most of the modifications contain moving hand or fingers up which is the realization of typical conceptual metaphor 'beginning is up'. Morphological marking inchoative is not very productive in Russian Sign Language: only few signs have suppletive and modified forms. It is pointed out that synthetic forms of the inchoative are used only for marking beginning of the single situation. Marking inchoative in Russian Sign Language is not obligatory since this meaning can be extracted from context. When context is not enough it can be specified by sign now and structure 'before it was X, now it is Y'.