Modelling of the analytical development of the Gothic future tense form

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to give the model, which demonstrates the development of the Future tense forms in the Gothic language. The initial stage of modelling the Future tense development includes the description of components according to their constituent features. It gives the possibility of tracing the gradual analytisation of corresponding grammatical form, and finding out latent features, which are characteristic for differentiated grammatical forms creating and building the set of Germanic future tense formal structures. The subject of the investigation are peculiarities of formation mechanism of temporal verb forms for projecting the action into the future. To describe the future action the Gothic language used forms of the Present tense involving phrase or upper phrase context. Within the Present tense forms a prefixal word formation model was found. The Greek future tense was translated involving prefixal and present forms in the Gothic language. The Gothic optative was involved to render the future tense. The present tense forms gain future meaning under the influence of aspect-tense specificity, which is recognized as futurelizing factor. Functions of the aspect-tense specificity may be performed with phrase or upper phrase context and syntactical structures with definitely represented semantics. Distinguished present tense constructions create the primary pivot, which is a basis for further development of the Gothic future tense forms. Gothic analytical structures with participle or infinitive were formed involving inchoative, strong, preterite present verbs. These structures are recognized as compound verbal predicates. Analytical structures cover the pivot creating coaxial cylinders. The whole model may be recognized as divergent-rotational because representing the Gothic future tense forms model itself "moves" along the temporal axis. Multilevel model structure demonstrates the fact that analytical forms are changeable in the gravitation. The comparison of divergent-rotational model components and peculiarities of their arrangement indicates and the caudal development of the Future tense forms in the Gothic language. Tendencies found and distinguished as initial, primary in the Gothic language happen in the process of development of the Old Germanic languages. These tendencies are reflected in the Modern Germanic languages, too.