Systemic-functional Relations of Grammatical Categories of Number and Gender with other Verbal Grammatical Categories

Abstract. 

The article, based on a specially chosen linguistic sample, deals with the systemic-functional relations between grammatical categories of number and gender, on the one hand, and with other verbal grammatical categories, on the other. Nowadays the setting and description of intercategory grammar interactions are considered to be one of the topical directions in grammar research. To study functional interconnections is important for all grammar categories, especially for that of the verb. We find it important that interactions between both close and distant categories should be studied and described. The methods of observation, description, functional-semantic analysis were used in the course of the work. Functional and paradigmatic relations and interactions between grammatical verbal categories were revealed and described on the basis of the undertaken study. Mediated relations existing between some verbal categories and categories excluding each other were identified. It was found that certain grammatical meanings, extensive, figurative types of usage appear due to the interaction of compatible categories and grammemes, as well as due to the interaction between the grammatical form and the context. There exist various paradigmatic relations between grammar categories. Some of these relations are close, others are not so close. There are even such relations that simply cannot coexist. However, other lexical means can help a verb to overcome those paradigmatic restrictions. In the interaction of the systemically incompatible grammemes there occur some paradigmatic limitations. Different cases of overcoming paradigmatic limitations have also been revealed and described (for example, inclinations, Tense forms and the infinitive).  In the course of the functional interaction of verbal grammatical categories, grammatical and lexical semantics, verbal form and context some implicit grammatical meanings are often expressed; although they are not manifested explicitly, they can be recognized due to the context, situation, common background knowledge of the participants of communication.

Keywords: functional relations, functional interaction, paradigmatic relations, categories of number and gender, grammatical categories, implicit meanings, explicit meanings.