Reported clause markers (Surgut Khanty)

RepdWV2: Reportativity is marked by the use of a conjunction that appears in the reported clause.


(1a) mīša jast-əɣ: „qoʌtaɣiʌ wɔ̄č-nam mən-ʌ-əm”.

Misha say-pst.3sg tomorrow I town-apr go-prs-1sg

‘Misha said “I’m going to the town tomorrow”.’ (L. N. K.)


(1b) mīša jast-əɣ, məttə ʌüw qoʌtaɣiʌ wɔ̄č-nam mən-ʌ.

Misha say-pst.3sg pcl he tomorrow town-apr go-prs.3sg

‘Misha said that he was going to the town the next day.’ (L. N. K.)


(1c) mīša jast-əɣ, məttə qoʌtaɣiʌ ʌüw wɔ̄č-nam mən-ʌ məttə.

Misha say-pst.3sg pcl tomorrow he town-apr go-prs.3sg pcl

‘Misha said that he was going to the town the next day, he said.’ (L. N. K.)


(1d) mīša jast-əɣ, məttə tā, qoʌtaɣiʌ ʌüw wɔ̄č-nam mən-ʌ.

Misha say-pst.3sg pcl pcl tomorrow he town-apr go-prs.3sg

‘Misha said that he was going to the town the next day.’ (L. N. K.)


In Surgut Khanty, both direct (1a) and indirect citation are possible. The particle mәttә ‘he said’ (cf. Russian мол) indicates that the sentence is an indirect citation. The particle is usually at the beginning of the sentence (1b) but it can appear at other positions too (1c). Other particles can also be combined with mәttә (1d). It cannot be considered a conjunction yet but it may become a general conjunction (meaning ‘that’) in the future.

Author: 

Márta Csepregi