Problemy opisu staropolskiej derywacji czasownikowej

Abstract

The article discusses the problems associated with the description of verbal derivation in the earliest period of the Polish language. The type of linguistic material that was preserved, the slight amount of attestations, the lack of clarity of the context, are all responsible for the appearance of difficulties associated with the word-formative description of verbs already at the level of the separation of linguistic facts, the establishment of the formant that we are dealing with. Even greater problems are associated with the establishment of the semantic value of derivatives, and with the indication of motivation relations. The author considers the extent to which the methodology that was developed upon contemporary material may be used in research of this kind. She also points out the scholarly ‘neglected’ areas of verbal word-formation of this period.