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Άρθρα = Articles

• Μόζερ, Αμαλία

This article argues that the forms in -ontas, labeled participates or gerunds in the literature are in reality verbal adverbs or converbs. This hypothesis is tested on the basis of the crosslinguistic criteria proposed in Ηaspelmath & Κonig (eds., 1995). Special emphasis is placed on finiteness, which creates problems for these forms if defined in terms of agreement and tense/aspect specification. Ιt is shown that the forms are specified for both aspect and relative tense, but it is argued that this does not prevent them from being non-finite; on a scale of finiteness they would in fact be placed at a rather low point both within Greek and cross-linguisticalΙy and this not only allows them to be categorized as converbs, given that they meet aΙl the other criteria, but places them among the prototypical exponents of the category.

• Languages and Literature

• Grammar, Comparative and general
• Greek language
• Γλωσσολογία

Περιέχει σημειώσεις και βιβλιογραφία, Warmest thanks are due to my colleagues Dimitra Theophanopoulou-Kontou, Despina Chila-Markopoulοu and Pepy Bella fρr their very helpful comments at various Stages of this research.