SERBIAN VERB <em>UGLEDATI</em> (‘CATCH SIGHT OF’) AND ITS SLOVENIAN EQUIVALENTS

Abstract

The paper analyses the semantic properties of the Serbian verb ugledati (‘catch sight of’) and its Slovenian equivalents, i.e. the verbs zagledati, ugledati, uzreti, zazreti. These verbs are the representatives of experiental group of verbs of visual perception, i.e. the verbs that are used to indicate that the subject of perception has completed the reception of visual stimuli and their processing, based on which it has come up with certain interpretation of the perceived entity.

In addition to the property of visual perception act, which is non-distinctive since it is the property of all verbs of visual perception, there is only the property of situation temporal structure [– Static], [– Durative], [+ Telic] in the internal semantic set of the above-mentioned verbs. According to these properties, the situations expressed with the verb ugledati and its Slovenian equivalents are classified as the situation type Achievement.

When it comes to the predicate-argument structure, the verb ugledati and its Slovenian equivalents are characterised by mandatory presence of the right argument in the semantic role of perceptive object coded in non-prepositional accusative.

According to its internal semantic set and its predicate-argument structure, the verb ugledati and its Slovenian equivalents are similar to the central representative of Serbian and Slovenian experiental verbs of visual perception, the verb videti (‘see’) if it reports the current perception of an entity.

Typical situations marked with the verb ugledati and its Slovenian equivalents often include certain changes in spatial relations that enable the entry of an entity in the role of perception object in the percipient’s visual field.