Verb form in purpose constructions (Northern Mansi)

PurpVBal: The verb of a purpose construction obligatorily appears in base form.

PurpVDrk: The verb of a purpose construction always appears in a single special form, regardless of both the features of the verb and whether the subject of the purpose construction is coreferential with that of the main clause.


(1) miša ūs-n mina-s, kaŋk-e jot χontχat-ne maγǝs.
Misha town-lat go-pst.3sg brother-3sg -with meet-ptcp.prs because
‘Misha is going to the town in order to meet his brother.’ (S. D.)


(2) miša ūs-n min-as, tot at xūrit-ane-te maγǝs.
Mihsa town-lat go-pst.3sg there hair change-ptcp.prs-3sg because
‘Misha is going to the town in order to get a haircut.’ (S. D.)


(3) miša ūs-n ta urǝl mina-s, tot kaŋk-e jot χontχati.
Misha town-lat that because go-pst.3sg there brother-3sg -with meet.prs.3sg 
‘Misa is going to the town in order to meet his brother.’ (S. D.)


In Northern Mansi, purpose constructions are typically expressed by participles (1), (2). However, there is another construction, which contains a relative pronoun and two finite verb forms (3) (Rombandeeva 1979). The use of these grammatical structures is not restricted by the difference between the subjects of the two predicates, or the properties of the verb.

Author: 

Szilvia Németh