Word order of nominal oblique adverbials (Surgut Khanty)

X1: The nominal oblique adverbial precedes the first transitive argument; for example, XSVO for SVO sentences, XSOV for SOV sentences, etc.

X2: The nominal oblique adverbial follows the first transitive argument and precedes the second; for example, SXVO for SVO sentences, SXOV for SOV sentences, etc.

X3: The nominal oblique adverbial follows the second transitive argument and precedes the third; for example, SVXO for SVO sentences, SOXV for SOV sentences, etc.


(1a) mīša jawən-nə ənəʌ sɔ̄rt wäʌ.

Misha river-loc big pike kill.pst.3sg

‘Misha caught a big pike in the river.’


(1b) jawən-nə mīša ənəʌ sɔ̄rt wäʌ.

river-loc Misha big pike kill.pst.3sg

‘Misha caught a big pike in the river.’


(2a) īmi īke-ʌ kiča ʌītot wär-ʌ.

woman husband-3sg for food make-prs.3sg

‘The woman is cooking for her husband.’


(2b) īke-ʌ kiča īmi ʌītot wär-ʌ.

man-3sg for woman food make-prs.3sg

‘The woman is cooking for her husband.’


(3) nüŋ-at kēr-a lükəmtə-ʌ-əm.

I you-acc stove-lat put-prs-1sg

‘I’m going to put you in the stove.’ (Csepregi 1998: 66.)


(4) sārpi ɔ̄ʌ-ət-nə jɔ̄ɣ ār wēʌi toj-ət.

previous year-pl-loc people many reindeer posses.pst-3sg

‘In the past, people had many reindeers.’ (Csepregi 1998: 58.)


In Surgut Khanty, the position of nominal oblique adverbials is rather flexible. Typically, the predicate is at the end of the sentence, the subject is at the beginning, and the other elements are put between them. The object is usually before the verb and adjuncts precede the object (1a), (2a). It is possible, however, that the nominal oblique adverbial appears before the subject (1b), (2b). The object can also precede it (3). Temporal adjuncts are often put at the beginning of the sentence (4). The topic requires further research.

Author: 

Márta Csepregi