Author: Anda Neagu
York University in Toronto
Published in Slavyanski dialozi, XXI, 2024, 33.
Abstract: This article provides a brief overview of Bulgarian subjunctive structures in both embedded and root clauses. The introduction presents the typology of these structures by showing that Bulgarian belongs to the Balkan Sprachbund and that subjunctive constructions are one of the features characterizing this linguistic union. In terms of their syntactic configuration, subjunctives are visibly formed by means of the subjunctive marker da, followed by the verb inflected for the indicative mood. This particle cannot be separated from the verb by other elements (e.g. the subject), and it can co-occur with complementizers like če. Because of these characteristics, da has been analyzed either as a mood marker, or as a low complementizer associated with modality. In terms of its usage, the Bulgarian subjunctive is employed in embedded clauses in structures corresponding to Romance-type infinitives, as well as Romance type subjunctives. In root clauses, it is used to convey different modal meanings (e.g. deontic or epistemic).
Key words: syntax, semantics, Bulgarian language, subjunctive mood