(Udmurt)
SyncNonCoreCase
SyncNonCoreCase: Nouns show case marking, with syncretism only occurring in non-core cases.
| Sg | Pl | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| general case paradigm | ym-type nouns | general case paradigm | ym-type nouns | |
| inessive | kana-yn | ym-yn | kana-os-yn | ym-jos-yn |
| instrumental-comitative | kana-jen | ym-yn | kana-os-yn | ym-jos-yn |
Table 1: Singular and plural inessive and instrumental-comitative forms (kana ’wardrobe’, ym ’mouth’)
| general case paradigm | korka, kuala | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | kana | korka |
| illative | kana-je | korka |
Table 2: Nominative and illative case in singular number (kana ’wardrobe’, korka ’house’, kuala ’sacrificial site’)
In Udmurt most of the nouns have different inessive and instrumental-comitative case forms in singular number: the former is marked using the suffix -yn (for nouns without possessive suffixation), the latter bears the suffix -(j)en (Table 1). In the plural both inessive and instrumental-comitative case are expressed using the suffix -yn. However, a subset of nouns use the suffix -yn for singular instrumental-comitative case as well: certain body part names, kinship terms and nouns referring to parts of objects belong here (Perevoshchikov et al. 1962: 101). As a result, for these nouns case syncretism is also attested in the singular forms of inessive and instrumental-comitative case.
Most of the nouns have different nominative and illative forms (Table 2), but for two nouns – korka ’house’, and kuala ’sacrificial site’ – singular illative case is identical with the nominative form (cf. Keľmakov & Hännikäinen 2008: 48–49). Since this pattern is restricted to two nouns and does not involve a larger class of nominals, we regard it as a case of irregularity and not as an instance of case syncretism.
Author: Erika Asztalos