Verbal modifiers in areal perspective: The case of Latvian Romani

Based on the analysis of texts collected in 1930s Latvia and Estonia, this paper provides a description semantics verbal modifiers, i.e., prefixes (preverbs) particles, Latvian Romani. The system modifiers Romani is an innovation evolved under Slavic Baltic influence. Most preverbs are instances MAT-borrowing from Baltic, whereas verb particles PATborrowing, modelled after system. argues that even origin often copy derivational patterns prefixed verbs. It also shown that, differently Latvian, both can affect verb’s argument structure (e.g., by making it transitive) change its aspectual value perfective). Finally, distribution (the development as opposed to other closely related Northeastern dialects which only have prefixes, higher frequency Estonia than Latvia) confirms areal cline spread particles.