Semantics of the verbs containing the formant NEZA- in the dialects of the Arkhangelsk region

The paper focuses on analyzing the semantics of those verbs belonging to the dialects of the Arkhangelsk Region that contain the formant neza-. In particular, phase meanings of the verbs containing the formant neza- are studied in detail. The used data were obtained from Archangelsk Regional Dictionary issues 1-18, and from the data file of Archangelsk Regional Dictionary; moreover, they were supported by the observations made by the author in dialectological expedition trips of recent years. The question to be raised concerns the actual existence of the word-forming formant neza-, which adds to the derived stem the connotation ‘to stop the current situation’. On the contrary, the verbs with the inceptive prefix za- in the negative context acquire the meaning ‘the absence of the beginning of the situation’. The article distinguishes between these two stages and draws the conclusions on the way the verbs with the formant neza- function in contemporary dialects. In the course of the analysis a parallel is drawn between the verbs containing the formant neza- which are used in contemporary dialect of the Russian North and the Old Russian language constructions “nachati (pochati) + ne + infinitive” and “ne + nachati + infinitive” with the similar semantics.