Structure of adverbial subordination (Synja Khanty)

SubMain: The subordinate clause generally precedes the main clause.

MainSub: The subordinate clause generally follows the main clause.


(1) āmp ēʟti paltami-man miša jūx-a xūŋx-əs.

dog from afraid-conv Misha tree-lat climb-pst.3sg

‘Misha, frightened of a dog, climbed up a tree.’ (F. L.)


(2) miša āmp-ət ēʟti paltam-əs, śi ūraŋ-ən jūx-a xūŋx-əs.

Misha dog-pl from afraid-pst.3sg this because-loc tree-lat climb-pst.3sg

‘Misha got frightened of the dogs and thus climbed up a tree.’ (S. O.)


(3) miša jūx-a xūŋx-əs, xuwa-šək ni-ti ūrŋa.

Misha tree-lat climb-pst.3sg, long-comp see-inf because

‘Misa climbed up the tree in order to be able to see farther.’ (S. O.)


(4) xuwa-šək ni-ti ūrŋa, miša jūx-a xūŋx-əs.

long-comp see-inf because Misha tree-lat climb-pst.3sg

‘Because he wanted to see farther, Misa climbed up a tree.’ (S. O.)


In Synja Khanty, adverbial subordination can be expressed by a gerund headed construction (1) and by a complex sentence (2). The matrix clause may precede (2)–(3) or follow (4) the subordinate clause. Alongside the construction with a gerund, the finite verb form is typically at the end of the sentence, thus the subordinate clause precedes the matrix clause.

Author: 

Nikolett F. Gulyás