6 Non-verbal predication in Uralic
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Rigina Ajanki
Abstract
The Uralic languages, spoken in Europe and Western Siberia, represent a time depth and typological diversity almost comparable to Indo-European. The lexical and grammatical means for encoding non-verbal predication in Uralic are often ancient and reconstructable for Proto-Uralic, but their use can also reflect language contact and areal developments (for instance, the obligatory copulae in Finnic and Saami). Nominal predication in Uralic is encoded basically with three strategies: (i) copula constructions (obligatory in most of Finnic and Saami, present but alternating with other strategies in other branches of Uralic), (ii) juxtaposition (in most of Uralic) and (iii) verb-like inflection of non-verbal predicates (in Mordvin and Samoyedic). The choice between these strategies is often connected to the inflectional category or the type of predication: copulae are more often used for locational and inverse-locational predication than for ascriptive predication. The expressions of possessive predication, locational and especially inverse-locational predication are sometimes difficult to demarcate from each other and from true verbal-predicate constructions. Inverse-locational predication (ILP) can in many Uralic languages be regarded as a variant of the locational clause. ILP is often encoded with a specific existential predicate, and often (although not exclusively) the same strategy is also used for possessive predication. Negation of nominal predication can often be expressed like clausal negation in general (negating the copula verb), but many Uralic languages can also use a specific negative existential.
Abstract
The Uralic languages, spoken in Europe and Western Siberia, represent a time depth and typological diversity almost comparable to Indo-European. The lexical and grammatical means for encoding non-verbal predication in Uralic are often ancient and reconstructable for Proto-Uralic, but their use can also reflect language contact and areal developments (for instance, the obligatory copulae in Finnic and Saami). Nominal predication in Uralic is encoded basically with three strategies: (i) copula constructions (obligatory in most of Finnic and Saami, present but alternating with other strategies in other branches of Uralic), (ii) juxtaposition (in most of Uralic) and (iii) verb-like inflection of non-verbal predicates (in Mordvin and Samoyedic). The choice between these strategies is often connected to the inflectional category or the type of predication: copulae are more often used for locational and inverse-locational predication than for ascriptive predication. The expressions of possessive predication, locational and especially inverse-locational predication are sometimes difficult to demarcate from each other and from true verbal-predicate constructions. Inverse-locational predication (ILP) can in many Uralic languages be regarded as a variant of the locational clause. ILP is often encoded with a specific existential predicate, and often (although not exclusively) the same strategy is also used for possessive predication. Negation of nominal predication can often be expressed like clausal negation in general (negating the copula verb), but many Uralic languages can also use a specific negative existential.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- List of the Authors V
- Acknowledgments
- Contents IX
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Part I: Setting the stage
- 1 Non-verbal predication: An analytical framework 1
- 2 A diachronic view on non-verbal predication 57
- 3 Crucial issues in non-verbal predication: A questionnaire 87
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Part II: Case studies
- 4 Non-verbal predication in Caijia and Waxiang: A Southeast Asian perspective 91
- 5 Non-verbal predication in Siyuewu Khroskyabs 129
- 6 Non-verbal predication in Uralic 155
- 7 Non-verbal predication in Turkic languages 195
- 8 Non-verbal predication in the so-called Paleosiberian languages 239
- 9 Non-verbal predication in Tungusic languages 275
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North America
- 10 Non-verbal predication in the Yupik-Inuktitut-Unangan (Eskimo-Aleut) family 313
- 11 Non-verbal predication in Western Apache (Athabaskan/Dene), with comparisons to Hän Athabaskan 353
- 12 Non-verbal predication in Algonquian languages 385
- 13 Non-verbal predication in Lushootseed (Salishan) 429
- 14 Non-verbal predication in Uto-Aztecan languages from northwestern Mexico 463
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South America
- 15 Verbless clauses and copula clauses in Arawak languages 505
- 16 Non-verbal predication in Tupian, especially Tupí-Guaraní languages 541
- 17 Non-verbal predication in Zaparoan languages 581
- 18 Non-verbal predication in Chicham 625
- 19 Non-verbal predication in the Pano languages of Western Amazonia 653
- 20 Non-verbal predication in Guaycuruan and Mataguayan 697
- 21 Non-verbal predication in Old Zamuco 743
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- List of the Authors V
- Acknowledgments
- Contents IX
-
Part I: Setting the stage
- 1 Non-verbal predication: An analytical framework 1
- 2 A diachronic view on non-verbal predication 57
- 3 Crucial issues in non-verbal predication: A questionnaire 87
-
Part II: Case studies
- 4 Non-verbal predication in Caijia and Waxiang: A Southeast Asian perspective 91
- 5 Non-verbal predication in Siyuewu Khroskyabs 129
- 6 Non-verbal predication in Uralic 155
- 7 Non-verbal predication in Turkic languages 195
- 8 Non-verbal predication in the so-called Paleosiberian languages 239
- 9 Non-verbal predication in Tungusic languages 275
-
North America
- 10 Non-verbal predication in the Yupik-Inuktitut-Unangan (Eskimo-Aleut) family 313
- 11 Non-verbal predication in Western Apache (Athabaskan/Dene), with comparisons to Hän Athabaskan 353
- 12 Non-verbal predication in Algonquian languages 385
- 13 Non-verbal predication in Lushootseed (Salishan) 429
- 14 Non-verbal predication in Uto-Aztecan languages from northwestern Mexico 463
-
South America
- 15 Verbless clauses and copula clauses in Arawak languages 505
- 16 Non-verbal predication in Tupian, especially Tupí-Guaraní languages 541
- 17 Non-verbal predication in Zaparoan languages 581
- 18 Non-verbal predication in Chicham 625
- 19 Non-verbal predication in the Pano languages of Western Amazonia 653
- 20 Non-verbal predication in Guaycuruan and Mataguayan 697
- 21 Non-verbal predication in Old Zamuco 743
