(Udmurt)

AdjNotVMorph

AdjNotVMorph: Adjectives are distinct from verbs in their morphological and syntactic behavior.

(1)udmurt-josvu-i-zy.
UdmurtPLarrivePST3PL
’The Udmurts arrived.’ (Y. S.)

(2)urok-jostunsyko-jeślu-o-zy.
classPLinterestingPLCOPFUT3PL
’The classes will be interesting.’ (Y. S.)

(3)gurt-josbadʒ́ym-eś.
villagePLbigPL
’The villages are big.’ (Winkler 2001: 66)

(4)ćeber-eśśin-jos-yzľeklu-i-zy.
nicePLeyePL3SGangryCOPPST3PL
’His nice eyes became angry.’ (Efremov 2011: 66)

In Udmurt verbs are marked for person, number, tense, mood, evidentiality and polarity, with the person and number marking agreeing with the subject (1). Predicative adjectives can only be marked for number, all the other categories being expressed by a copula (or the lack of it in positive statements in present tense, indicative mood) (2)–(3) (Csúcs 1990: 62, Winkler 2001: 40, 66). Occasionally number marking is also absent (4) (Efremov 2011: 66).

Author: Erika Asztalos


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