(Meadow Mari)

Pl1=Pl1 & (Pl1=Sg1)

Pl1=Pl1: Number distinction exists for the first-person, but inclusive and exclusive are not distinguished.

Pl1=Sg1: First person has no number distinction and can only be distinguished by context.

(1)me,tudodaməj,una-mvuč-ena.
we(s)heandIguestACCwait1PL
’We, (s)he and I, are expecting guests.’ (A. S.)

(2)me,təjdaməj,una-mvuč-ena.
weyouandIguestACCwait1PL
’We, you and I, are expecting guests.’(A. S.)

(3)məjuna-mvuč-em.
IguestACCwait1SG
‘I am expecting guests.’ (A. S.)

(4)məjkošt-ənaiktažkumarńa.
wego1PLsomethreeweek
’We will walk around for some three weeks.’ (Bereczki 1990: 48)

Meadow Mari has no different pronouns for inclusive and exclusive ‘we’. The literary language and most of the dialects distinguish singular and plural first person pronouns, but in some areas of the central subdialect 1Pl personal pronouns have the same form as 1Sg ones. In this case the number properties can only be identified based on the inflection on the verb (Bereczki 1990: 48).

Author: Bogáta Timár


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