Marking of nominal conjunction and comitative (Synya Khanty)

JuxtaN&DM: Juxtaposition (zero­marking) is used to express nominal conjunction; dependent marking (DM) is used to express the comitative.

ConnN&DM: A medial connective is used to express nominal conjunction; dependent marking is used to express the comitative.


(1) ūt-luw-n oxsar-ǝt, ńoxs-ǝt, lāŋk-ǝt ūl-l-ǝt.

forest-pl.1pl-loc fox-pl marten-pl squirrel-pl live-prs-3pl

‘Foxes, martens, and squirrels live in our forests.’ (Onina 2009: 61)


(2) ānťi-l pā pox-l wɔ̄š-a man-l-ǝŋǝn.

mother-3sg and boy-3sg town-lat go-prs-3du

‘The mother and her son are going to the town.’ (S. O.)


(3) ūl-l-ǝŋǝn imeŋ-ŋǝn ikeŋ-ŋǝn.

live-prs-3du woman-du man-du

‘A woman and man live together.’ (F. L.)


(4) pox-sat ewi-sat wɔ̄s-a man-s-at.

boy-asc girl-asc town-lat go-pst-3pl

‘The brothers and the sisters went to the town.’ (S. O.)


(5) ānťi-l pox-l piln wɔ̄š-a man-l-ǝŋǝn.

mother-3sg boy-3sg with town-lat go-prs-3du

‘The mother is going to the town with her son.’ (S. O.)


In Synya Khanty, the coordination of nominals is expressed by the mere juxtaposition of the elements (cf. Nikolaeva 1999a: 38, 44–45, Honti 1984: 102), or with the help of the pā ‘and, too’ conjunction (2). In the coordinating construction without conjunction (1), the dual number is used (3), or, in the case of relationship terms, the -sat associative plural (4) can also express coordination. The marker of the comitative construction is the piln postposition, which is attached to the non-head element of the construction (5).

Author: 

Nikolett F. Gulyás