Word order of predicative comparative constructions (Surgut Khanty)

StAdj: The standard is followed by the adjective; the language does not have a separate marker for the comparative.

AdjSt: The adjective is followed by the standard; the language does not have a separate marker for the comparative.

AdjMSt: The adjective is followed by the marker, then the standard.


(1a) pūpi čēwer kīńťa wökkəŋ.

bear rabbit cmpr strong

‘A bear is stronger than a rabbit.’


(1b) pūpi wökkəŋ čēwer kīńťa.

bear strong rabbit cmpr

‘A bear is stronger than a rabbit.’


(2a) pūpi məŋ kīńťa-ɣəw wökkəŋ.

bear we cmpr-1pl strong

‘A bear is stronger than us.’


(2b) pūpi wökkəŋ məŋ kīńťa-ɣəw.

bear strong we cmpr-1pl

‘A bear is stronger than us.’


(3a) woqi čēwer kīńťa wökkəŋ-šək.

fox rabbit cmpr strong-comp

‘A fox is slightly stronger than a rabbit.’


(3b) woqi wökkəŋ-šək čēwer kīńťa.

fox strong-comp rabbit cmpr

‘A fox is slightly stronger than a rabbit.’


Surgut Khanty does not have a specific comparative marker. Comparisons are expressed with the help of a postposition (kīńťa), which is attached to the standard of comparison. The prototypical Surgut Khanty word order is: standard of comparision–adjective (1a), (2a), (3a). However, due to the infuence of Russian, the adjective–standard of comparison word order has also appeared in comtemporary Surgut Khanty (1b), (2b), (3b). If the standard is expressed by a pronoun, the comparative postposition takes a person suffix, which is coreferent with the pronoun (2a, b). Typically, adjectives cannot be in comparative form, although if the difference between the standard of comparison and the compared entity is small, the -šək suffix is attached to the adjective (3a, b): wökkəŋšək ‘a little stronger’.

Author: 

Márta Csepregi