Case-marking asymmetry (Surgut Khanty)

CasesystProg: Case marking is progressively asymmetrical; a limited group within nominals (such as pronouns) shows a greater number of cases than the majority of nominals.


Case-marking of the singular personal pronouns (I, you, he/she/it)

Cases

1sg

2sg

3sg

Nom.

nüŋ

ʌüw

Acc.

mānt

nüŋat

ʌüwat

Dat.

māntem

nüŋati

ʌüwati

Lat.

māntema

nüŋatina

ʌüwata

Loc.

mānə

nüŋnə

nüŋatinə

ʌüwnə

ʌüwatinə

Abl.

māntemi

nüŋatiji

ʌüwatiji

Appr.

māntemnam

nüŋatinam

ʌüwatinam

Transl.

māntemɣə

nüŋatinɣə

ʌüwatiɣə

Instr.

māntemat

nüŋatinat

ʌüwatiɣat

Com.

māntemnat

nüŋatinat

ʌüwatinat

Abess.

māntemʌəɣ

nüŋatinʌəɣ

ʌüwatiʌəɣ

(based on Honti 1977: 275–276. and Csepregi 1998: 24–25.)


Case-marking declension of nouns: qɔ̄t ’house’

Case/Number

sg

du

pl

Nom.

qɔ̄t

qɔ̄tɣən

qɔ̄tət

Lat.

qɔ̄ta

qɔ̄tɣəna

qɔ̄təta

Loc.

qɔ̄tnə

qɔ̄tɣənnə

qɔ̄tətnə

Ablat.

qɔ̄ti

qɔ̄tɣəni

qɔ̄təti

Appr.

qɔ̄tnam

qɔ̄tɣənnam

qɔ̄tətnam

Transl.

qɔ̄tɣə

qɔ̄tɣənɣə

qɔ̄tətɣə

Instr.-Fin.

qɔ̄tat

qɔ̄tɣənat

qɔ̄tətat

Com.-Instr.

qɔ̄tnat

qɔ̄tɣənnat

qɔ̄tətnat

Abess.

qɔ̄tʌəɣ

qɔ̄tɣənʌəɣ

qɔ̄tətʌəɣ


Nouns and demonstrative pronouns can have 9 cases (nom, loc, lat, apr, abl, tra, ins-fin, com-ins, abe) in Surgut Khanty. Apart from these 9 cases, the personal pronouns also have accusative and dative forms.

Author: 

Márta Csepregi