Verb form in when-clauses (Northern Mansi)

WhenVBal: The verb of a when-clause obligatorily appears in base form.

WhenVDrk: The verb of a when-clause always appears in a single special form, regardless of both the features of the verb and the temporal relationship between it and the verb of the main clause.


(1) tolyγ lakw-ťīwǝr-t sāw χūl ōl-nē-te por-at tūp-ǝl wit rakwtā-we.
net inside-loc lot fish be-ptc.prs-3sg time-loc oar-ins water fall-pass.3sg
‘When there are many fish in the net, the oar starts to splash the water.’  (Rombandeeva 1976: 11)


(2) nōχ-janyγma-n ēlǝmχolas manǝr mā-n at joχti?
up-grow_up-ptcp.prs man which land-loc not reach.prs.3sg
‘Growing up, what land can one get to?’ (Sz. Kispál 1966: 105)


(3) jij-ima-men āpśiť-um akw mā-t χūľt-ǝs
come-conv-1du cousin-1sg a place-loc stay-pst.3sg
‘When we were walking, my cousin dropped behind.’ (Rombandeeva 1976: 47)


(4) χoli-t kwāli-me taŋχ nakiti.
morning-loc wake_up-conv hoof cut.prs.3sg
‘After (s)he woke up, (s)he started cutting reindeer hoofs.’ (Sz. Kispál 1966: 306)


(5) joχt-um-um juji-pālt, jol-χuj-s-um.
come-ptcp.pst-1sg after down-lay-pst-1sg
‘After I arrived, I went to sleep.’ (T. M.)


(6) χuń miša juw-śalt-ǝs, maša kon-kwāl-ǝs.
when Misha into-enter-pst.3sg Masha out-leave-pst.3sg
‘When Misha entered the room, Masha left.’ (S. D.)


(7) anumn ta pora-nǝl marśum-yγ jemt-ǝs, χuń naŋ-ǝn at kasal-ēγ-um.
I.acc that time-abl sad-ins become-pst.3sg when you-acc not see-prs-1sg
‘I’m sad since I don’t see you.’ (S. D.)


(8) liľpi kol ta pora mus ūntta-we, χuń pēs kol-nǝl wāntl-aŋkwe tax ēri.
new house that time untill build-pass.3sg when old house-abl move-inf after must
‘By the time we have to move out of the old house, the new one will be ready.’ (S. D.)


In Northern Mansi, temporal subordination can be expressed by various means. Simultaneity and anteriority can be expressed by the present participle (1-2), and the converb (3-4), while posterior events are coded by the participle + postposition construction (5) (Sz. Kispál 1966:  305­11). On the other hand, the constructions entailing a relative pronoun (6–8) can be used for the expression of all temporal subordinations.

Author: 

Szilvia Németh