Marking of genitive, adjectival, and relative­clause functions (Northern Mansi)

Attrdiff: The three functions are expressed using three distinct morphosyntactic strategies. This is known as complete differentiation.

AttrReldiff: Genitive constructions and attributive phrases are formed using similar strategies, while relative clauses rely on a distinct strategy.


(1) karǝs pyγ nom-i-l-ǝm.
tall boy know-prs-det.3sg-1sg
‘I know the tall boy.’ (T. M.)


(2) tē-ne pyγ nom-i-l-ǝm.
eat-ptcp.prs boy know-prs-det.3sg-1sg
‘I know the boy who is eating.’ (T. M.)


(3) pyγ χoťi tē-γ, nom-i-l-ǝm.
boy who eat-prs.3sg know-prs-det.3sg-1sg
‘I know that boy who is eating.’ (T. M.)


(4) nē ńawram-e nom-i-l-ǝm.
woman child-3sg know-prs-det.3sg-1sg
‘I know the son of the woman.’ (T. M.)


(5) nē ńawram nom-i-l-ǝm.
woman child know-prs-det.3sg-1sg
‘I know the son of the woman.’ (T. M.)


Northern Mansi can differentiate among noun phrase modifier constructions (unmarked modifier + noun (1), adjectival subordination (participial (2) or relative (3)), and possessive constructions (nominative possessor + personal suffixed possessed entity (4)) (Rombandeeva 1973, Kálmán 1976, Riese 2001). In special cases, however, the noun phrase modifier construction and the possessive construction can be expressed the same way because the bare juxtapostion of two nominals can also indicate a possessive relationship (5).

Author: 

Szilvia Németh