LEXICAL-SEMANTIC FEATURES OF MOVEMENT VERBS IN ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN

Аннотация

This article examines the lexical-semantic features of movement verbs in English and Russian. The comparison focuses on the classification, semantic scope, and usage patterns of verbs that denote motion or physical displacement. Special attention is paid to aspectual distinctions in Russian and phrasal verb constructions in English, highlighting both universal and language- specific traits. Key words: motion verbs, lexical semantics, movement in English and Russian, directional verbs, phrasal verbs, verbal aspect, prefixation,verb classification, polysemy. Introduction. Verbs of motion form a fundamental part of any language, as they express one of the most basic human experiences—movement. While English and Russian belong to different language families, they both possess rich systems of motion verbs. However, the ways in which these verbs are lexically and semantically organized differ significantly, offering insight into broadertypological distinctions. Classification of Movement Verbs. Movement verbs can generally be divided into the following categories: Mannerof movement: e.g. run, crawl, jump (English); бежать,ползти,прыгать (Russian) Means of transport: e.g. drive, fly, sail; ехать,лететь,плыть Directionality: e.g. go,come, arrive;идти,приходить,прибывать English tends to focus more on manner, while Russian places more emphasis on direction andaspect.For example: He ran into the house. — Он вбежал в дом. (Note the use of the prefix в- to mark direction in Russian.) SemanticFeatures ofRussian MotionVerbs. Russianmotion verbs aretypically divided into: - Unidirectional verbs (determinate): indicate motion in a single direction (e.g., идти, ехать) - Multidirectional verbs (indeterminate): indicate habitual or back-and-forth motion (e.g., ходить,ездить) This distinctionis absent inEnglish, where adverbs orcontext are used instead: Я хожу вшколу.–Igo toschool (regularly). Я идув школу.–Iam going to school (now). Phrasal Verbs in Englishvs Prefixes in Russian English often uses phrasal verbs to express nuanced meanings of movement: - goout,come in,run over,walkacross Russian uses prefixes forthe samepurpose: - выйти,войти,перебежать,перейти Both methods expand the semantic scope of motion verbs, but Russian prefixes are highly productive and tightly boundto aspectual distinctions. Polysemy andFigurativeUses In both languages, motionverbs often develop metaphorical meanings: - to move on(emotionally recover) - двинуться сместа (to take action) - перейти границу(to cross theline–literal ormetaphorical) From a semantic standpoint, English tends to highlight the manner of movement more explicitly within the verb itself, while Russian often places greater emphasis on direction and aspect. For example, the English sentence “He ran into the house” would be rendered in Russian as 563 RAQAMLI TRANSFORMATSIYA SHAROITIDA SUN’IY INTELLEKTNI RIVOJLANTIRISH VA ZAMONAVIY MATEMATIKANI O‘QITISH MUAMMOLARI VA YECHIMLARI “Он вбежал в дом,” where the verb вбежал combines the root for running (бежать) with the prefix в- to mark inward direction. This structural difference reveals a key typological distinction: English typically uses prepositions and adverbials to express motion path, whereas Russian frequently encodes this information within the verb through prefixation and verb aspect. These lexical-semantic differences influence how speakers of each language conceptualize and describe motion events. Russian motion verbs are notably complex due to their aspectual system and prefixation patterns, which play a central role in expressing nuances of direction, frequency, and completion. A key distinction exists between unidirectional (determinate) verbs and multidirectional (indeterminate) verbs. Unidirectional verbs, such as идти (to go on foot in one direction) or ехать (to go by vehicle in one direction), denote motion that is linear and goal-oriented. In contrast, multidirectional verbs likeходить(to go onfoot repeatedly orin various directions)and ездить (to travel byvehicle habitually orin multiple directions) express habitual, round-trip, or aimless motion. This binary distinction has no direct equivalent in English, where adverbs or contextual cues are required to convey similarmeanings. Moreover, prefixation in Russian motion verbs serves as a powerful tool for indicating directionality, completion, and aspectual shifts. For example, the verb входить (to enter, indeterminate) becomes войти (to enter, determinate and perfective) with the addition of the prefix в- and a change in aspect. Through such prefixation, Russian verbs of motion can generate a wide range of meanings: подойти (to approach), уйти (to leave), перейти (to cross), etc. These prefixes not only modify the spatial trajectory of the movement but also often mark a transition to the perfective aspect,signaling that theaction has adefined endpoint orresult. One of the most distinctive features of English motion verbs is their frequent combination with particle