(Meadow Mari)

AttrDiff

AttrDiff: The three functions are expressed using three distinct morphosyntactic strategies. This is known as complete differentiation.

(1)lümlöjeŋ
famousman
’famous man’ (Kangasmaa-Minn 1998: 237)

(2)jeŋ-ənlud-žə
foreignGENduck3SG
’somebody else’s duck’ (Bereczki 1990: 35)

(3)jüksə-nüdər
swanGENgirl
’the swan’s daughter’ (Beke 1911: 184)

(4)ləštaš-ešpiž-šelupš
leafLATsickPTCP.ACTdew
’dew forming on a leaf’ (Bereczki 1990: 60)

In Meadow Mari attributive adjectives modifying a noun functioning as the subject also have nominative case (1). In possessive constructions the possessor is obligatorily marked, while the possessed noun has optional possessive person marking (2), (3). In relative clauses the verb is realized in a participle form (4). That is, the three constructions are clearly distinguishable.

Author: Bogáta Timár


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