(Komi-Permyak)

PossSuff & PrsPObl & PrsPOblPossSuff

PossSuff: Possession is expressed through the use of a suffix on the possessed noun; the pronoun referring to the possessor does not appear, regardless of person.

PrsPObl: Possession is expressed through the use of a personal pronoun in non-base form along with an unmarked possessed noun.

PrsPOblPossSuff: Possession is expressed through the use of a personal pronoun in non-base form and a suffix on the possessed noun.

(1)kerku-yslözröm-a.
house3SGbluecolourADJ
’Her/his house is blue.’ (L. P.)

(2)sylönkerku-yslözröm-a.
(s)he.GENhouse3SGbluecolourADJ
’Her/his house is blue.’ (L. P.)

(3)sylönkerkulözröm-a.
(s)he.GENhousebluecolourADJ
’Her/his house is blue.’ (L. P.)

(4)meöďďönraďejt-asyliśkerku-sö.
IverylikePRS.1SG(s)he.ABLhouseACC.3SG
’I like her/his house very much.’ (L. P.)

(5)sylönćužöm-ysgögrösa.
(s)he.GENface3SGround
’(S)he has a round face.’ (L. P.)

(6)kyčömtenatńim-yt?
howyou.GENname2SG
’What’s your name?’ (L. P.)

In Komi-Permyak there are three ways of forming adnominal possessive constructions with a pronominal possessor. One of them is with the pronominal possessor in genitive case, not pronounced when the possessee is marked (1). It is possible for both the possessor and the possessed noun to be marked (2), and marking only the possessor is also an alternative (3), actually, the preferred option according to less recent grammars (cf. Batalova 1975). When the adnominal possessive construction has the function of the object in the sentence, the possessor is expressed not in genitive but ablative case and the possessee has a special suffix expressing both accusative case and person and number agreement. Which of these forms is used depends on the type of the possessive construction to some extent: for some informants the suffix on the possessed noun is obligatory with certain inalienable body parts (5) or abstract notions (6) (cf. F. Gulyás et al. 2018). This is subject to future research.

Author: Nikolett F. Gulyás


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