PNPnonobl: The object may be optionally marked through the explicit use of the noun or an independent pronoun.
Agr: The object is marked through the use of morphosyntactic agreement on the verb.(1) mā naŋen ūjat-l-em.
I you.acc know-prs-obj.1sg
‘I know you.’ (S. O.)
(2) mā miša ūjat-l-ǝm.
I Misha know-prs-obj.1sg
‘I know Misha.’ (S. O.)
(3) mā lijlal ūjat-l-em.
I they.acc know-prs-obj.1sg
‘I know them.’ (S. O.)
(4) naŋ lijlal sam-a taj-l-ǝllan? sam-a taj-l-ǝllam.
you they.acc heart-lat keep-prs-pl.obj.sg heart-lat keep-prs-pl.obj.1sg
‘Do you love them? I do.’ (S. O.)
In Synja Khanty, there are determinate and indeterminate verb conjugations (Onina 2009, Nikolaeva 1999a, 1999c, Rédei 1965: 54‒70, Honti 1984, Sz. Kispál ‒ F. Mészáros 1980: 34‒44). The determinate conjugation reflects the number (singular, dual, plural) of the object (S. O.). The verbal suffixes, which require dual and plural objects, are homonymous. If the verb form is in the third person singular, the same form (-ǝl(l)i, -li) is used irrespective of the number of the object. According to Dalrymple and Nikolaeva (2011: 142‒150) and Nikolaeva (1999a: 64‒76), the use of the determinate conjugation is motivated partly by the information structure, partly by grammatical reasons. The determinate conjugation is not determined by the definiteness of the object but by its topicality: objects in a non-topical function require the indeterminate conjugation, while objects in the topic position are used with determinate verb forms. If the determinate conjugation is used, the object is often covert in the sentence (Nikolaeva 1999c). If the object is expressed by a personal pronoun, the determinate verb form is obligatory. The topic requires further research.