Potekali

Potekali is a grammatical form found in several South Slavic languages. It stems from the verb tekati, meaning to flow or run, with the prefix po- added to indicate onset or continuation. Potekali is the masculine plural past participle (or a predicative adjective) that agrees with a masculine plural subject. Related forms include potekao (masc singular), potekla (fem singular), and poteklo (neuter singular). In typical sentences, the form describes that something has begun to flow or has begun to run, such as water, lava, or other liquids, or it can be used metaphorically to indicate a process starting to unfold.

Usage of potekali occurs mainly in the context of inflectional morphology. It functions as a past participle that can describe a completed or initiated action by multiple male or mixed-gender subjects, or serve in predicative positions when describing the subject’s state. The prefix po- and the base tekati interact in established ways within the language’s tense and aspect system, producing a form appropriate for describing onset of flow.

In English-language references, potekali is not a common lexical item and is typically discussed only within grammar notes or dictionaries of South Slavic languages. It is primarily of interest to linguists and students studying inflection, agreement patterns, and the formation of aspectual derivatives in these languages.

See also: Tekati; Slavic grammar; Past participles.

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