(Meadow Mari)

PossSuffGenSuff & GenSuff

PossSuffGenSuff: Possession is expressed through the use of a suffix on both the possessed noun and the possessor.

GenSuff: Possession is expressed through the use of a suffix on the possessor.

(1)maša-nkńiga-žejom-ən.
MashaGENbook3SGdisappearPST2.3SG
’Masha’s book disappeared.’ (A. S.)

(2)miša-nvakš-ešvašlij-na.
MisaGENmillLATmeetPST1.1PL
‘We met at Masha’s mill.’ (Kangasmaa-Minn 1966-1969: I: 83)

(3)jalmuča-škəlakaj-a
villageendAPPRgo3SG
’(s)he goes to the end of the village’ (Kangasmaa-Minn 1998: 227)

In Meadow Mari nominal possessors are in genitive case. Besides this marked genitive form, possessive agreement on the possessed noun is optional (1), (2) (Kangasmaa-Minn 1966-1969: I: 83, Bereczki 1990: 35, Pleshak 2018: 155). It has to be noted that when the possessor is inanimate, the possessive relationship is often morphologically unmarked (3) (Kangasmaa-Minn 1998: 226-227, Kangasmaa-Minn 1966-1969: I: 31).

Author: Bogáta Timár


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