Особенности оптативной модальности в македонском языке (на примере функционирования независимой да-конструкции)

Славянский альманах. 2020. № 1-2. С. 301–323.

Кикило Н. И.

In the Macedonian literary language the analytic da-construction used
in an independent clause has a wide range of possible modal meanings,
the most common of which are imperative and optative. The present
article offers a detailed analysis of the semantics and functions of the
Macedonian optative da-construction based on fiction and journalistic
texts. The first part of the article deals with the specificities of the optative
as a category which primarily considers the subject of a wish. In
accordance with the semantic characteristics of this category, optative
constructions are used in those discourse text types where the speakers
are explicitly designated (the most natural context for the optative is the
dialogue). The analysis of the Macedonian material includes instances of
atypical usage of the optative da-construction, in which the wish of the
subject is not apparent and thereby produces new emotional tonalities
perceptible to the reader of a fiction/journalistic text.
The study describes Macedonian constructions involving two different
verb forms: 1) present tense form (da + praes) and 2) imperfective form
(da + impf). These constructions formally designate the hypothetical
and counterfactual status of the optative situation, respectively. Thus,
the examples in the analysis are ordered according to two types of constructions,
which reflect the speaker’s view on the probability of the
realisation of his/her wish. Unrealistic wishes can be communicated
through the present da-construction, while the imperfective construction
denotes situations in which the wish can be realised in the future.
The second part of the article is devoted to performative optative daconstructions,
which express formulas of speech etiquette, wishes and
curses. The analysis demonstrates that these constructions lose their
magical functions, when used outside of the ritual context, and begin to
function as interjections.

Keywords: Slavic languages, optative, грамматика славянских языков, irrealis, ирреалис, оптативные конструкции, македонский язык