(Udmurt)

FinalCpl & InitCpl

FinalCpl: The only structural difference between dependent and independent content questions is the optional use of a clause-final subordinating complementizer with the former.

InitCpl: The only structural difference between dependent and independent content questions is the obligatory use of a clause-initial subordinating complementizer with the former.

(1)martatynkar-iśk-od,vańzyzal-ynuk?
whatheredoPRS2SGeverybodyroomINEafter_all
’What are you doing here? Everybody is in the room already.’ (UdmCorp.)

(2)markjua-z,marlenaotynkar-e.
MarkaskPST.3SGwhatLenatheredo3SG
’Mark asked what Lena was doing there.’ (Y. S.)

(3)markjua-z,marlenaotynkar-ešuysa.
MarkaskPST.3SGwhatLenatheredo3SGthat
’Mark asked what Lena was doing there.’ (Y. S.)

(4)markjua-z,štokytynLena.
MarkaskPST.3SGthatwhereLena
’Mark asked where Lena was.’ (Y. S.)

(5)markjua-z,štomarlenaotynkar-ešuysa.
MarkaskPST.3SGthatwhatLenatheredo3SGthat
’Mark asked what Lena was doing there.’ (Y. S.)

In Udmurt, the difference between content questions (1) and dependent content questions (2)–(5) is that the latter commonly, but not always (see (2)) contains the conjunction šuysa ’that’ (3). The conjunction šuysa can be absent in the presence of the conjunction što ’that’, of Russian origin (4). These two conjunctions can be present at the same time in a sentence, with the Russian one at the beginning of the sentence, and the Udmurt one at the end (5).

Author: Laura Horváth


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