Participial shi-forms in Two Pskov and One Smolensk Dialects: A Comparison of Subsystems

The paper comperes the functioning of the shi-forms in two Pskov dialects and one Smolensk dialect. Participial forms have different predicative functions in the Pskov dialects: they are not only used as part of the so-called perfect, but also to designate a continuous action and as a main predicate in the adverbial clause. The Smolensk dialect differs from Pskov dialects, first of all, as to the frequency in the use of the shi-forms. Taking into account the lesser development of the archaic predicative functions of the shi-forms outside of the resultative use and considering the larger percentage of the attributive use in the Smolensk dialect we can conclude that the shi-forms there are gradually losing predicativity and that the perfect as a grammatical category is in the state of deterioration. However, this deterioration is not accompanied by the “incorrect”, non-resultative use of the shi-forms as l-forms and the lexicalization of the shi-forms, but rather by an increase of their attributive use and a general decrease in their frequency.