Aspect marking (Synja Khanty)

PrefA: Aspect is expressed through the use of a special prefix.

SuffA: Aspect is expressed through the use of a special suffix.

RdpA: Aspect is expressed through the use of total reduplication.


(1) talən luŋən śita xul wɔ̄j wēl-l-ət.

in_winter and in_summmer there fish and animal kill-prs-3pl

‘In the summer and in the winter, they always hunt and fish there.’ (habitative) (Onina 2011: 44)


(2) xōt wēr-man ū-s.

house make-conv be.pst.3sg

‘The house has been built up.’ (perfective) (S. O.)


(3) kil-ti nox kil-ti

wake-inf up wake-inf

‘to wake’ (imperfective) –    ‘to wake up’ (perfective) (Onina 2009: 47)


(4) pox man-s, man-s.

boy go-pst.3sg go-pst.3sg

‘The boy was going for a long time.’ (frequentative) (S. O.)


Aspect is expressed by lexical and morphological means in Synja Khanty. Aspect can be coded by adverbials (1), verbal prefixes (2), derivational suffixes (3) and complete reduplication (4). Aspect is not marked systematically in the verbal paradigm (Nikolaeva 1999a: 27‒28, Honti 1984: 51‒60, S. O.). The topic requires further research.

Author: 

Nikolett F. Gulyás