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Changes of verbal prefixes in Czech languge of Czechs in Croatia as a result of language contact between Czech and Croatian

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2014

Abstract

The artical deals with changes that appear in the Czech language of Czechs in Croation due to long and intensive contact with Croatian language - specifically with changes in verbal prefixes. The proximity of verbal structures in Czech and Croation language makes interferences easier and thus even transfer of morphs from one language to another, especially if these mofphs are not strongly bound as is the case with e.g. verbal prefixes.

We can observe three basic changes: loss of verbal prefix (darovat instead obdarovat), addition of verbal prefix (spoznat instead of poznat) and the most frequent, substitution of one verbal prefix with another (posadit instead of zasadit). Changes in prefixes are in some cases linked to other changes, i.e. reflexivization and calquing.