PP~DemSubj: Although third-person personal pronouns exist, they can always be substituted in subject position by demonstrative pronouns.

(1) i iki ū-s. luw wɔ̄j wēl-ti man-s.

one man live-pst.3sg he animal kill-inf go-pst.3sg

’There was a man once. He went hunting.’ (S. O.)

(2) i iki ū-s. tumi / śi wɔ̄j wēl-ti man-s.

one man live-pst.3sg det / det animal kill-inf go-pst.3sg

’There was a man. That man went hunting.’ (S. O.)

(3) mojaŋ ū-s-ǝt. śi wɔ̄j wēl-ti man-s-ǝt.

people live-pst-3pl det animal kill-inf go-pst-3pl

’There were some people. Those went hunting.’ (S. O.)

(4) xɔ̄t-n i išńi ū-s. luw pa sukal-s.

house-loc a window cop-pst.3sg it and break-pst.3sg

’There was a window in the house. That broke in.’ (S. O.)

(5) xɔ̄t-n i išńi ū-s. tamen pa sukal-s.

house-loc a window cop-pst.3sg det and break- pst.3sg

’There was a window in the house. That broke in.’ (S. O.)

In Synja Khanty, demonstrative pronouns in the third person can refer anaphorically to animate (1)-(3) and inanimate (4)-(5) entities as subjects.

(S. O., F. L.).