(Meadow Mari)

AdjPredNonV

AdjPredNonV: Predicative adjectives are non-verbal.

(1)kuvašoŋgo
old_womanold
’The woman is old’ (Kangasmaa-Minn 1998: 240)

(2)kožkeŋežəm-atteləm-atužarge
spruceinsummeralsoinwinteralsogreen
’A spruce is green in summer as well as in winter’ (Bereczki 2002: 60)

(3)marijüdər-vlakmotorul-ət.
MarigirlPLbeautifulbe3PL
‘Mari girls are beautiful.’ (Arkhangelskiy 2019)

(4)kodšijraps-lanjodmaškuguəl-e.
last_yearrapeDATdemandbigbePST1.3SG
‘There was a great demand for rape last year.’ (Arkhangelskiy 2019)

(5)tudoješanlij-ne-žealeuke?
hewith_familybecomeDES3SGornot?
‘He wants to have a family, doesn’t he?’ (Arkhangelskiy 2019)

In Meadow Mari verbs agree with the subject in number and person, they can also take markers of tense and mood. Predicative adjectives do not agree with any member of the sentence, singular form is used even in the presence of a plural subject (Bereczki 1990: 75). Plural, tense and mood are marked on the substantive verb serving here as an auxiliary (3)–(5).

Author: Bogáta Timár


[🠐 back]