THE EXTENSION OF THE ENDING ՈՒՑ TO CERTAIN IRREGULAR VERBS IN SOME DIALECTS BY THE PRINCIPLE OF FAMILY RESEMBLANCE

Abstract

It is argued in the paper that the analogical extension of the aorist ending - ուց of causative
verbs to certain irregular verbs in some Armenian dialects (cf. the aorist forms դըրուց,
տըվուց, բէրուց, թողուց) can be accounted for by the principle of family resemblance.
Specifically, the aorist stem of the verb դընել due to its phonotactic structure being highly
similar to that of the final (suffixal) part of causative verbs (cf. դըր-ի, դըր-իր... and հաս-ցըր-ի,
հաս-ցըր-իր...), has played a pivotal role in the formation of this class of irregular
verbs, thereby serving as the prototype within the group. In the subdialect of Lori both the
monosyllabicity and phonotactic structure CVC of the aorist stem have been conceived of as
two equally important criterial features by speakers in determining the class membership. That
is why the verbs անիլ/ անել and ասիլ/ ասել, as having phonotactic structure VC, have failed
to join the class and acquire the ending ուց. However, the class has been expanded further in
the subdialects of Shamshadin-Dilijan and Ashtarak due to the fact that the phonotactic
structure VC also became permittable (cf. the aorist forms ար-ի, ար-իր, ար-ուց...).