(no subject)

[moonflower77]

 refer to a specific attribute (quality) of a person or object, which is seen as a state.

 

intermediate between the N and V classes. do not have some of the grammatical categories that are essential for both classes: tense, mood (essential for V) and case (essential for N). may take case suffixes only in isolated instances; this is associated with a specific usage that is exceptionally rare. 

 

have the the categories of subjective evaluation (common to the entire N class), person and number (most of the markers used are common to the N class as a whole) and degree. can modify N-class words, in which case they serve as attributes. as a result, they can be seen as belonging to the N class.

 

however, they stand somewhat apart from the other parts of speech assigned to the N class.

peculiarity: heavy predicative shade of meaning. 

 

person and number:

 

1st person: usually refer to humans (much more rarely, may refer to a non-human who is a character in a folktale)

2nd person: usually refer to humans (much more rarely, may refer to a non-human who is a character in a folktale or an animal, sometimes an inanimate object that is being addressed by the speaker)

3rd person: used to refer both to humans and non-humans with equal frequency

 

personal forms require both prefixes and suffixes (unlike other N-class words, which require only suffixes). 

 

the prefix n(ɨ)- is obligatory for all persons. suffixes are as follows:

 

1st p. sg.: -jgɨm (after a vowel), -igɨm ~ -ɛgɨm (after a consonant)

2nd p. sg.: -jgɨt (after a vowel), -igɨt ~ -ɛgɨt (after a consonant) 

3rd p. sg.: -qin(ɛ) ~ -qɛn(a) (the final vowel is deleted)

1st p. pl.: -muri ~ -morɛ

2nd p. pl.: -turi ~ -torɛ

3rd p. pl.: -qin(ɛ) ~ -qɛn(a) (the final vowel is restored) + -t 

 

nɛrmɛjgɨm (i am) strong

nɛrmɛjgɨt (you sg. are) strong

nɛrmɛqin (he is) strong

nɛrmɛmuri (we are) strong

nɛrmɛturi (you pl. are) strong

nɛrmɛqinɛt (they are) strong

 

nɨgtamɛgɨm (i am) tidy

nɨgtamɛgɨt (you sg. are) tidy

nɨgtamqɛn (he is) tidy 

nɨgtammorɛ (we are) tidy 

nɨgtamtorɛ (you pl. are) tidy

nɨgtamqɛnat (they are) tidy

 

degree: 

 

describe the degree to which a particular quality is manifested in an object or person. 

 

not used for comparison; indicate only the degree to which a quality manifests in the object/person in question, regardless of the ways in which it may manifest in other objects/persons. (the prefixes used are similar to some of those used in comparative phraseological complexes, but they are less numerous and lack the comparative meaning)

 

mɛch- ~ mach- : somewhat (too)

nikvigɨm (i am) tall -> mɛchnikvigɨm (i am) somewhat too tall

najɨlgɛgɨt (you sg. are) cowardly -> machnajɨlgɛgɨt (you sg. are) somewhat too cowardly

 

chig- ~ -cheg : comparatively, relatively

nɨŋinqin (he is) young -> chignɨŋinqin (he is) comparatively young 

nonmɨqɛn (it is) deep -> chegnonmɨqɛn (it is) comparatively deep

 

kɨn- : sufficiently, enough; fairly, quite, rather

nɨgɨnrɨrmuri (we are) sharp-sighted -> kɨnnɨgɨnrɨrmorɛ (we are) sufficiently sharp-sighted

 

nɨlgi- ~ nɨlgɛ- : extremely, very

nɨkɨntɛturi (you pl. are) lucky -> nɨlginɨkɨntɛturi (you pl. are) extremely lucky 

nɨlɨmalqɛnat (they are) gullible -> nɨlgɛnɨlɨmalqɛnat (they are) extremely gullible

 

subjective evaluation:

 

reflect the speaker's evaluation of the object's or person's attribute (quality), which is perceived as a state. identical to the category of subjective evaluation in nouns.

 

respectful augmentative: -jŋ

pejorative augmentative: -chg

affectionate diminutive: -qɛj ~ -qaj

 

each of these suffixes is joined directly to the 3rd p. singular suffix -qin(ɛ) ~ -qɛn(a) (follows):

 

nɛrmɛjgɨm (i am) strong -> narmaqɛnajŋɛgɨm (i am) most strong

nikvigɨt (you sg. are) tall -> nɛkvɨqɛnachgɛgɨt (you sg. are) most tall

nɨrulqin (he is) weak -> nɨrulqinɛqɛj (he is) weak 

nɨgtammorɛ (we are) tidy -> nɨgtamqɛnaqajmorɛ (we are) tidy

narojvɨtorɛ (you pl. are) healthy, brave -> narojvɨqɛnajŋɨtorɛ (you pl. are) most healthy, brave

nɨvɛnnɛqinɛt (they are) envious -> nɨvannaqɛnachgɨt (they are) most envious

 

the evaluative form of attributives may also be marked for degree:

 

nɨlgɛnarmaqɛnajŋɨtorɛ (you pl. are) extremely strong (aug., respectful)

chegnɛmpaqɛnachgɛgɨt (you sg. are) rather slow to react (aug., derogatory)

kɨnnanŋɛnaqɛnachgɨt (they are) rather spiteful (aug., derogatory)

chignuntɨmqinɛqɛjturi (you pl. are) fairly calm (dim., affectionate)

 

a mixed attributive-predicative meaning can be expressed in three different ways:

 

i) participles, or attributive nominals = the fact that an object or person possesses a certain property (quality)

 

miŋkɨri vaļɨn? what? which? possessing what (property)? characterized by what (property)? 

 

ɛrmɛļɨn strong (characterized by strength, having the quality of strength)

ilgɨļɨn white (characterized by whiteness, having the quality of whiteness)

 

ii) phraseological (analytical) complexes that have an attributive meaning = qualitative characteristic of the object or person 

 

miŋkɨri vaļɨn? what? which? one that is which way?  

 

armagtɨ vaļɨn strong (one that is strong)

ɛlgɛtɨ vaļɨn white (one that is white)

 

iii) state attributives [= qualitative state, the state of being a certain way]

 

miŋkɨri vaļɨn? what? which? one that exists which way? one that is in which state or condition? 

 

nɛrmɛqin strong (one that is in the state or condition of being strong / of strength)

nilgɨqin white (one that is in the state or condition of being white / of whiteness) 

 

each requires the same question (miŋkɨri vaļɨn?), but in each case it is translated in a slightly different way, and each of the three instances reflects a different shade of attributive-predicative meaning - from a prominent substantive meaning (i) (an attribute seen as something one possesses) to a prominent predicative meaning (iii) (an attribute seen as a state). 

 

by definition i) cannot express the degree to which an entity possesses a particular property and stands apart from the other two. ii) and iii), on the other hand, are much closer to one another than to i), and can be used to express degree; ii) is used when one wants to compare one entity to another, iii) when no such comparison is intended. 

 

for this reason, a phraseological complex in the comparative degree may be contrasted either against the corresponding state attributive or against a phraseological complex in the positive degree: 

 

ɛlgɛtɨ vaļɨn white, nilgɨqin (one that is) white -> ɛlgɨŋ vaļɨn whiter

ɛtchetɨ vaļɨn heavy, nitchɨqin (one that is) heavy -> machɛtchɨŋ vaļɨn comparatively heavier

ɛvɨpɛtɨ vaļɨn shy, nivɨpqin (one that is) shy -> chekɛvɨpɨŋ vaļɨn considerably more shy

ɛrvɛtɨ vaļɨn sharp, nirvɨqin (one that is) sharp -> pɨtqɛrvɨŋ vaļɨn far sharper

 

a phraseological complex in the comparative degree can also be contrasted against the corresponding state attributive which is marked for degree: 

 

kɨnnatlägqɛn (one that is) fairly sweet -> kɨtatlägɨŋ vaļɨn considerably sweeter

nɨlgɛnɨjerolqɛn (one that is) very bright [intelligent] -> lɨgɛjerolɨŋ vaļɨn much brighter [more intelligent] by far

 

a pure attributive meaning with no predicative shade can be expressed only through incorporation, i.e. the noun incorporating the stem of the state attributive (do not confuse with the stem of the attributive participle, which is quite different; its predicative meaning would only be weakened but not lost when incorporated). 

 

compare: 

 

ilgɨļɨn kojŋɨn a cup that is white (a cup that possesses the property of whiteness) 

ɛlgɛtɨ vaļɨn kojŋɨn a cup which is white (a cup that exists in a state or condition of whiteness) 

nilgɨqin kojŋɨn the cup is white (the cup exists in a state or condition of whiteness) 

ɛlgɨkojŋɨn a white cup (a white-cup)

 

main difference: the state attributive is used to refer to an attribute that is somewhat dynamic, temporary and subject to change, while its incorporated stem is used to refer to an attribute that is static, permanent and constant (changeless): 

 

nɛrmɛqin a'achek the young man is strong : arma'achek "a strong young man

nɨvɛjmɛnqin ɨnpɨnachgɨn the old man is friendly : vajmanɨnpɨnachgɨn "a friendly old man

nɨqitpɨqin ŋɛɛkkɛqɛj the girl is diligent : qitpɨŋɛɛkkɛqɛj a diligent girl

nomqɛn ɛvirjɨn the garment is warm : omavɛrjɨn a warm garment

nɨtɛŋqin pojgɨn the spear is good : taŋpojgɨn a good spear

 

predicative usage (most common):

 

amɨn, qɨtlɨgi turi nɨqitpɨturi oh wow, as it turns out, you (pl.) are diligent 

naqam itɨk gɨm nɨgɨtjigɨm but i am hungry

ŋotqɛn ɨ’ttjɨn nɛrmɛqin, ɨnqɛn-ɨm nɨrulqin this dog is strong, while that (one) is weak

ɨtri-ɨm itɨk machnɨmlɨqɛnat why, they are comparatively (somewhat) nimble, are they not?

nɛmɨqɛj muri chigninjɨmuri, qɨrɨm mɨnpɛlänmɨk we are fairly fast too, (we) will not fall behind

qɨtlɨgi ɨtlön kɨnnɨgɨtleqɛn as it turns out, he is quite miserly

kolö amɨn nɨlgɛnajɨlgɨtorɛ oh, how fearful you (pl.) are!

turi nanqɛvɨjŋɨtorɛ, mɛchɨnkɨ rajoŋɨtkɨ you (pl.) are endurant (aug., respectful), you will be able to reach the destination

gɨt-ɨm itɨk nɨlgɛnanŋɛnaqɛnachgɛgɨt why, you (sg.) are very spiteful (aug., disapproving)

ɨmɨļo ɨtri nɨŋɨchvɨnqɛnaqagtɛ all of them are affectionate (dim., affectionate)

 

as an attribute whose meaning has a certain predicative shade: 

 

ɨtri, nɨgɨnrɨrqinɛt, ɨ’ttjɨjol nanvakjovɨnat (they) sat them, the sharp-sighted ones, at the front

turi-ɨm, narmaqɛnachgɨtorɛ, lɨmŋɛ qɛɛqɨn qɨmigchirɛtgɨtɨk and you (pl.) strong ones (aug., contemptuous), work some more!

ɨtlön, nɨgɨrkiqinɛqɛj, ɨmɨļorɨk ɨ’lgu nɛtchɨgjɛn everyone loved him, the agile one (dim., affectionate)

muri, kɨnnɨgjevmorɛ, mɨtɛkvɛnmɨk qɨrɛrɨnvɨ we, the ones who were sufficiently experienced, set out to search

 

this predicative shade is quite prominent regardless of whether or not the atribute stands in pre- or in post-position, e.g., nɨturqin milgɛr qinɛjɨlgi means “give (me) the rifle which is new”.

 

however, as a rule, a state attributive would only be used as a separate word only if the noun it modifies is in the nominative case. in any of the other cases, the noun will incorporate its stem: ɛlgɨqoragtɨ “to, for, toward the white reindeer”, ŋinŋɛvɨsqɛtɨk “at the young woman’s”, turmilgɛrɛ “using, with the new rifle”, gataŋtomgɨma “with a good friend” etc. this could be explained by the fact that, if an attribute modifies a noun that takes a case other than the nominative, it is in a dependent position and cannot form predicative connections. and a pure attributive meaning without any predicative shade can be expressed exclusively through incorporation. 

 

there is a handful of exceptional instances where a state attributive takes a case suffix, usually instrumental or locative, which is then joined to the 3rd p. sg. suffix:

 

rjaqorata rɛkvɛtgjɛ? which reindeer will you set out on? 

qoo, vɛchjɨm nilgɨqinɛtɛ i don’t know, perhaps on the white ones (on the ones that are white) [more common usage: ɛlgɨqorata on the white reindeer (on the white-reindeer)]

nɨmɛjɨŋqinɛk ɨ’tvɨk vakjogjat kɨlgɨnkɛn o’ravɛtļat fifteen people got seated in the large boat (in the boat that was large) [more common usage: mɛjŋɨɨ’tvɨk in the large boat (in the large-boat)]

 

questions can also be used to illustrate the difference between a separate state attributive and its incorporated stem:

 

ajvɛ (miŋkɨri vaļɨn qoraŋɨ?) nilgɨqin qoraŋɨ gɨntɛkvji yesterday (which reindeer? the reindeer that is which way?) the white reindeer (the reindeer that is white) escaped

ajvɛ (rjaqoraŋɨ?) ɛlgɨqoraŋɨ gɨntɛkvji yesterday (which reindeer? what sort of reindeer?) the white reindeer (the white-reindeer) escaped