Russian Possessive Constructions

@cite{stassen-2009} @cite{nichols-1986} @cite{heine-1997}

Russian derives its primary have-construction from the Location Schema ("Y is located at X" → "X has Y"). The construction consists of:

1. Preposition u 'at, by' + possessor in genitive case
2. Possessum in nominative (= grammatical subject)
3. Copula est' 'is' (often omitted in present tense)

The possessor is an oblique locative adjunct; the possessee is the grammatical subject. This matches @cite{heine-1997}'s prediction: Location Schema encodes the possessee as subject.

Russian also has a secondary, less common Action Schema construction using imet' 'to have' (< *em- 'take'), where the possessor is subject.

PossessionProfile bundle for Russian (ISO rus), per the project's "per-language data flows through Fragments" rule. Substrate types live in Linglib/Typology/Possession.lean. Heine 1997 prediction verification for Russian lives in Phenomena/Possession/Studies/Heine1997.lean.

Examples

• U menja (est') kniga. 'I have a book.' (at me is book)
• U menja net deneg. 'I have no money.' (at me not-is money.GEN)
• On imeet pravo. 'He has a right.' (he has.3SG right; Action Schema)

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.sourceSchema : Typology.Possession.PossessionSource

Russian's primary possessive construction uses the Location Schema.

Equations

• Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.sourceSchema = Typology.Possession.PossessionSource.location

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.predicativeStrategy : Typology.Possession.PredicativePossession

Russian's predicative strategy is locational/existential.

Equations

• Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.predicativeStrategy = Typology.Possession.PredicativePossession.locational

theorem Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.strategy_matches_schema : Typology.Possession.predicativeSource predicativeStrategy = sourceSchema

The strategy matches the schema via predicativeSource.

structure Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.RuPossessive : Type

Components of the Russian possessive construction.

• preposition : String

  The preposition u 'at, by' — etymologically locative.

• possessorCase : String

  Possessor case: genitive (following u).

• possesseeCase : String

  Possessee case: nominative (grammatical subject).

• copula : String

  Copula est' — often dropped in present tense affirmative.

• negForm : String

  Negative existential net + genitive (replaces est' + NOM).

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.instDecidableEqRuPossessive.decEq (x✝ x✝¹ : RuPossessive) : Decidable (x✝ = x✝¹)

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.instDecidableEqRuPossessive : DecidableEq RuPossessive

Equations

• Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.instDecidableEqRuPossessive = Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.instDecidableEqRuPossessive.decEq

@[implicit_reducible]

instance Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.instReprRuPossessive : Repr RuPossessive

Equations

• Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.instReprRuPossessive = { reprPrec := Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.instReprRuPossessive.repr }

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.instReprRuPossessive.repr : RuPossessive → Nat → Std.Format

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.primaryConstruction : RuPossessive

Equations

• Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.primaryConstruction = { }

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.secondarySchema : Typology.Possession.PossessionSource

Russian has a secondary Action Schema construction using imet' 'to have' (< Proto-Slavic *jьmati, related to *em- 'take, seize'). This is restricted to formal/abstract possession and is much less common than the u + GEN construction.

Equations

• Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.secondarySchema = Typology.Possession.PossessionSource.action

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.imetPossessorIsSubject : Bool

imet' is transitive: possessor = subject, possessee = object. This matches @cite{heine-1997}'s prediction for the Action Schema.

Equations

• Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.imetPossessorIsSubject = true

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.uGenNotions : List Typology.Possession.PossessiveNotion

The u + GEN construction covers most possessive notions in Russian. However, physical/temporary possession is its prototypical use (matching Location Schema predictions), and abstract possession often prefers imet' (Action Schema).

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.imetNotions : List Typology.Possession.PossessiveNotion

Equations

• Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.imetNotions = [Typology.Possession.PossessiveNotion.abstract, Typology.Possession.PossessiveNotion.permanent]

def Fragments.Slavic.Russian.Possession.possession : Typology.Possession.PossessionProfile

Russian possession profile.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.