Periphrastic causatives (Synya Khanty)

IntPfrCC: Causatives are expressed through the use of a nonfinite verb form, special verbal mood, and either a verbal case affix or a special particle in the clause expressing the caused event. This type is known as an intentional causative construction.


(1) ānťe-m jērnas jɔ̄t-l.

mother-1sg dress sew-prs.3sg

’My mother is sewing a dress.’ (S. O.)


(2) ānťe-m jērnas jɔ̄t-tija pārla-l-li.

mother-1sg dress sew-inf order-prs-obj.3sg

‘My mother is having a dress sewed.’ (S. O.)


(3) ānťe-m ima-jem jērnas manema jɔ̄t-tija pārla-l-li.

mother-1sg aunt-1sg dress I.dat sew-inf order-prs-obj.3sg

‘My mother made my aunt sew a dress for me.’ (S. O.)


(4) ānťe-m ima-jem jērnas āpś-em-a jɔ̄t-ti-ja pārla-l-li.

mother-1sg aunt-1sg dress sister-1sg-lat sew-inf order-prs-obj.3sg

‘My mother made my aunt sew a dress for my sister.’ (S. O.)


In Synya Khanty, it is common to express causation periphrastically (S. O., F. L.). The main verb of the construction is the pārla­ ‘order’, which is typically in the determinate conjugation. The caused event is in the infinitive. In the periphrastic causal construction (3)-(4), the causer and the causee take the nominal case (S. O., F. L.).

Author: 

Nikolett F. Gulyás