Word order of nominal oblique adverbials (Synja 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.

X4: The nominal oblique adverbial follows the third transitive argument; for example, SVOX for SVO sentences, SOVX for SOV sentences, etc.


(1) pox aškula-jn nēpǝk luŋǝt-l.

boy school-loc book read-prs.3sg

‘The boy is reading a book in the school.’


(2) aškula-jn pox nēpǝk luŋǝt-l.

school-loc boy book read-prs.3sg

‘The boy is reading a book in the school.’


(3) pox nēpǝk aškula-jn luŋǝt-l.

boy book school-loc read-prs.3sg

‘The boy is reading a book in the school.’


(4) pox nēpǝk luŋǝt-l aškula-jn.

boy book read-prs.3sg scool-loc

‘The boy is reading a book in the school.’


In Synja Khanty, the subject is typically at the beginning of the sentence, while the predicate is at the end, and the object is in between. Nominal oblique adverbials are put between the subject and the object (1), or at the end of the sentence (2). Nominal adjuncts can also appear between the object and the verb (3) (cf. Honti 1984: 88‒89, Nikolaeva 1999a: 57‒64, Solovar 2009: 73‒77). Rarely, the nominal oblique adverbial is at the end of the sentence (4) (S.O.). The topic requires further research.

Author: 

Nikolett F. Gulyás