О СЕМАНТИЦИ ГЛАГОЛСКОГ ПРЕФИКСА УЗ-

Abstract

This paper deals with the semantics of the Serbian verbal prefix uz-, which occurs in approximately 400 verbs (the exact number cannot be stated, since one of its allomorphs is identical with the preposition u-). Within the theoretical and methodological framework of cognitive semantics, the concrete and abstract meanings of the prefix uz- are described, the conceptual metaphors that account for its abstract meanings are formulated, the Aktionsarts of the pertinent verbs are discussed, and the relationships of synonymy and antonymy with other prefixes are investigated. Uz- is found to have five concrete meanings, denoting the motion of an object in the physical space: (1) upward - uzdići (se), uzgajiti, uspraviti (se), ustalasati (se), uzdrmati (se); (2) forward - uznapredovati, uzorati, (3) backward - uzmaknuti, uzdržati se, (4) reciprocal - uzvratiti, and (5) towards another object - uzviti se. The meaning 1 is prototypical, the others are exemplified only by a few verbs (the meaning 4 only by one verb). The meanings 1, 2 and 5 are also typical meanings of the preposition uz. Among metaphorical senses, two are dominant: the beginning of an intense activity, process or state, whereby the prefixation by uz- is accompanied by the reflexivization of the verb (trčati - ustrčati se, mucati - uzmucati se), and the mere beginning of an activity, process or state, regardless of its intensity (ustreptati, uzjoguniti se, uzoholiti se). Both are instances of the metaphor more intensive is higher. The most important other metaphors include authority is up (uzdati se), high pitch is up (uzviknuti), bringing into previous state is bringing backward (uspostaviti), and several concretizations of the metaphor intensive is up: intensive taste is up (uskisnuti), warm is up (uzmlačiti), disorder is up (uznerediti), restlessness is up (uznemiriti, usplahiriti). This investigation corroborates previous findings in the literature that the Serbian prefix uz- is not very active. Although the verbs prefixed by uz- are not scarce, for the contemporary intuition they are unusual or archaic; if uz- has synonyms, they tend to be more common, while its future meaning (common in the language of Vuk Karadžić) has practically disappeared. The author concludes that the semantics of uz-, although clearly delineated, is not much exploited any longer - the Serbian language covers much of it with other sources