Verb Forms Functioning in Cyril Turovskij’s Homilies

Abstract

SummaryThe article issue is verbs functioning in the works of Old Russian writer Cyril Turovskij (the second half of the 12th century). It is being considered in details for the first time on the base of the earliest source, Tolstovskij Sbornik (the second half of the 13th century). Since Cyril’s homilies were addressed to a wide range of listeners and readers, they had to be based on clear and straightforward language forms related, however, to literary standards. The article describes following features of Cyril’s language: the earliest usage of “praesens historicum”; exclusive usage of aorist forms with additional endings (начатъ type); distinctive character of aorist рѣша; unusually broad usage of 2 Sg. aorist forms; usage of perfective imperfect forms and imperfects with additional endings; standardized usage of Future I forms; individual cases of imperative usage. A certain similarity of verbs functioning in Cyril’s homilies and The Tale of Igor’s Campaign is detected.