PP~DemSubj: Although third person personal pronouns exist, they can always be substituted in subject position by demonstrative pronouns.
man be-pst.3sg he hunt-inf go-pst.3sg
‘There was a man. He went out to hunt.’ (T. M.)
man be-pst.3sg that hunt-inf go-pst.3sg
‘There was a man. He went out to hunt.’ (T. M.)
man-pl be-pst-3pl that.pl hunt-inf go-pst-3pl
‘There were some men. They went out to hunt.’ (T. M.)
In Northern Mansi, personal and demonstrative pronouns are separate categories (Rombandeeva 1973; Kálmán 1979; Riese 2001), but the demonstratives can substitute personal pronouns for animate subjects both if the subject is singular (1), (2) or plural (3).