Chapter 11. Variation in the encoding of endpoints of motion in Russian

In Russian, as in a typical satellite-framed language, endpoints of motion are usually introduced by specialized directional PPs (such as combinations of a preposition with the accusative case). With a small set of verbs, however, the endpoint of motion can instead be introduced by locational PPs. This paper explores restrictions on the use of this less-studied strategy for encoding endpoints of motion. It is argued that locational PPs with an endpoint interpretation are licensed by change of state verbs, rather than motion verbs, and alternate with directional PPs that behave as result phrases. It is also shown that the choice of a construction is further influenced by a number of contextual factors, including event construal and the preposition used.