Development of Mordvin definite conjugation (SUST 233)

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Nimeke

Development of Mordvin definite conjugation (SUST 233)

Aihe

Development of Mordvin definite conjugation. Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia 233. 1999. 266 p. (ISBN 952-5150-24-0) 24 €.

Kuvaus

In this monograph a brief historical overview is given with results of research on the Mordvin definite conjugation. My primary purpose is to present various diachronic layers of synthetic verbal forms in the context of my previous historical-phonetical studies. My argumentation is rooted in a historical point of view and is mainly based on empirical material. During field trips to the Mordvin Republic I was able to supplement the earlier collections with contemporary language material.

There is a more comprehensive and complex definite verbal conjugation in Mordvin than in any other Uralic language. Both the person and number of the object can in principle be expressed as verbal suffixes. Mordvin has paradigms referring to first person, second person and third person direct objects.

A fundamental question is whether this extremely complicated form of definite conjugation is a remnant of a formerly widespread feature in western Finno-Ugrian languages or whether it is an innovation that arose during the independent existence of Mordvin.

The monograph contains a sampling of the Mordvin definite verbal paradigms as well as schematic maps presenting the dialect variants of the definite suffixes along with the main isoglosses in the Mordvin dialect area, from the perspective of definite conjugation.

Tekijä

László Keresztes

Julkaisija

Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura

Aikamääre

1999

Formaatti

Fyysinen nide

Kieli

Englanti (English)