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ON NEGATION OF INTERROGATIVE AND INDEFINITE PRONOUNS AND ADVERBS IN VAKH AND VASYUGAN DIALECTS OF KHANTY // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2014. Issue 2 (4). P. 17-28

The given article addresses the problem of negation of interrogative and negative pronouns and adverbs in Vakh and Vasyugan dialects of Khanty. The thesis that in these dialects of the Khanty language there are no independent negative pronouns and adverbs, and there are only functional equivalents in the form of negative structures is put forward. The article also gives a brief description of similar phenomena in other eastern dialects of the Khanty language. At the end of the discussion, the functional equivalents of negative pronouns and adverbs1 are considered from the point of symmetry/asymmetry, as well as from the perspective of typology of denial.

Keywords: pronouns, adverbs, negation, grammaticalization, Siberian endangered languages, typology

TOWARDS THE PROBLEM OF THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EMPHATIC ELEMENT / NEGATIVE POLARITY ITEM / NEGATIVE ELEMENT |-NAJ| IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN DIALECTS OF SELKUP // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2015. Issue 2 (8). P. 49-54

This article deals with the problem of the reconstruction of the emphatic element, element of negative polarity and negative element |-naj|. The research is based on the materials on the southern and northern dialects of Selkup language. First of all, the negative element |-naj| which manifests itself as an integral part of negative pronouns and adverbs, is the product of the second outcome – grammaticalization of the corresponding emphatic element |-naj|. So, in its turn, it is supposed that the emphatic element |-naj| is the result of the merging of two elements: some pronoun (or stem of some pronoun) |-nɛ| and the corresponding emphatic particle |-aj|. Moreover, being of emphatic nature, the element |-naj| (as well as |-aj|) probably can merge with other elements producing new lexemes with new meanings, for example: southern Selkup |olanej| ‘so’; northern Selkup |nɨnaj| ‘again, at once’.

Keywords: Selkup language, reconstruction, emphasis, negation

TAXONOMY OF POSSESSIVE LANGUAGE MEANS IN SELKUP // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2015. Issue 4 (10). P. 36-44

The article observes classification of constructions with possessive markers in Selkup in the frame of such oppositions, as personal – impersonal, adnominal (pronominal and nominal) – predicative, alienable – inalienable, prototypical – non prototypical. 44 examples of Selkup constructions with possessive markers reveal that some of them do not have possessive meaning but rather reflect determination, identifiability, or definiteness. The usage of possessive suffixes with certain noun groups leads to their grammaticalization.

Keywords: possessive constructions, categorization, Selkup, possessive language means, grammaticallization

STRATEGIES OF THE PREDICATIVE POSSESSION FORMATION IN SELKUP DIALECTS // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2016. Issue 4 (14). P. 9-21

This article aims at discovering basic strategies of predicative possession formation in Selkup dialects. It is an integral part of a current typological project that examines the verbalization of the notion/concept of predicative possession in the Ob-Yenisei linguistic area. After Stassen (2009, 2013), we give prominence to formal criteria based on the syntactic encoding of Possessor and Possessee instead that to semantic ones. According to Stassen, the predicative possessive constructions observed in the languages of the world can be reduced to five syntactic patterns only. Four construction strategies are found in Selkup dialects although only locational possessive and Genitive possessive occupy the central part in this system while two other strategies belong to the periphery: [Possessor-LOC + V.ex. + Possessee] (Locational Possessive) [Possessor-GEN + Possessee + V.ex.] (Genitive Possessive). [Possessor + Possessee-COM.INSTR + V.ex.] (Conjunctional Possessive). [Possessor + V.tr. + Possessee] (Have-Possession). In conclusion, we can state that, in the case of Selkup, in expressions of ‘having’ the Possessor is given emphasis and the predicate is a transitive verb, while in expressions of ‘belonging’ the Possessee is given emphasis and the predicate is copular.

Keywords: dialects of the Selkup language, predicative, locative, genitive comitative, transitive possessive

SEMATIC INTERPRETATION PROBLEMS OF CONSTRUCTIONS WITH POSSESSIVE FORMANTS IN THE DIALECTS OF SELKUP // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2017. Issue 4 (18). P. 29-41

The semantics of Selkup constructions with possessive formants, which are possessive suffixes and the suffix of the Genitive Case, combines possessive and non-possessive relationships. The semantic types of possessiveness, denoted by L. Stassen, namely, alienable, inalienable, abstract and temporary physical possession, are characteristic of most predicative and nominal constructions, although this study revealed limitations of their semantic realization: (i) predicative transitive constructions with the verb to hold are used only to express alienable or temporary physical possession; (ii) the semantics of temporary physical possession occurs only in predicative constructions; (iii) inalienable possession is associated with the names of relatives, parts and functions of the body, and personal items; (iv) possessive suffixes are also used in non- possessive function to convey anaphora and deixis in a specific context; they are also used to express unique phenomena.

Keywords: the selkup language, semantics of constructions with possessive formants

BASIC WORD ORDER IN THE CENTRAL DIALECTS OF SELKUP: INTRASYSTEM CHANGES ON THE BASIS OF THE DATA FROM LATE 20th – EARLY 21st CENTURIES // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2018. Issue 4 (22). P. 39-49

This paper focuses on the word order studies in the Central dialects of the Selkup language for two time periods: 1970s – 80s of the 20th century and 2000s of the 21st century. The syntactic changes are analyzed in synchrony and the deviations of the basic word order are established between two diachronic periods. At present there are a few native speakers of the Central dialect group remaining, whose language was assimilated in a certain degree under the dominant influence of the Russian language. The two given variants of the Central Selkup dialects have flexible dominant word order, the deviations of which reflect changes in the information structure of a sentence. Comparing the data of two diachronic periods, the changes that have occurred in the Central dialects of the Selkup language are visible – a shift of the original syntactic structure of the Selkup language towards the syntactic structure of the Russian language SOV ˃ SVO, OV ˃ VO. If the sentence only contains an explicitly expressed subject and predicate, comparison of two diachronic periods doesn’t reveal any change: SV = SV. Direct objects in later texts began to follow the predicate of the sentence, unlike the texts of the 1970s – 80s, where it preceded the predicate. The possible absence of explicit subject or direct object is compensated by the presence of the subjective and objective conjugation of the verb.

Keywords: word order, information structure, language shift, Selkup language

SYNTACTIC FEATURES OF THE WRITTEN MONUMENT IN SELKUP «CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE TRUE GOD AND TRUE FAITH IN THE DIALECT OF OB OSTYAKS» (1900) BY ST. MACARIUS (NEVSKY) // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2020. Issue 3 (29). P. 44-57

The aim of this work is to describe the syntactic features of one of the first written monuments in southern Selkup by St. Macarius (Nevsky) «Conversations About the True God and True Faith in the Dialect of Ob Ostyaks». The analyzed material is included in the Central-Ob dialect of the Selkup language. The translation of the monument into Selkup was made by St. Macarius from the Altaic language. The literal Russian translation is also attached to the text. The text of the monument was analyzed to identify the order of the main constituents of the sentence: S — subject, V — predicate, O — direct object. The dominant word orders of the text are SOV, SV и OV, which fully correspond to the word order in Samoyedic languages in general and in Selkup in particular. Special constructions consisting of an imperfect converb and a verb, as well as infinite clauses with a nomen actionis in the locative case to express the circumstance of time, are spread in the text. When compared with modern Middle-Ob texts, constructions with imperfect converbs and verbs are still frequent, while examples with a nomen actionis in the locative case are absent. Instead of them finite clauses with the connectives and connective words are used. The conjunctionless link type of the homogeneous parts of the sentence, as well as of complex sentences, is common. Connectives and connective words, including those borrowed from the Russian language, are also used. Comparing the obtained data with modern materials on the Middle-Ob dialect, no significant changes are noted in this aspect. The conjunctionless link type of the homogeneous parts of the sentence, as well as of complex sentences, is combined with parallel use of connectives and connective words, including those borrowed from the Russian language. Comparing the obtained data with modern materials on the Middle-Ob dialect, the use of connectives and connective words gained a foothold.

Keywords: Selkup language, Middle-Ob dialect, syntax

On the Distribution of Homorganic Final Consonants -m/-p, -n/t, -ŋ/-k in Selkup Dialects // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2024. Issue 4 (46). P. 68-78

This article describes the distribution of the nasal and stop consonants -m / -p, -n / -t, ŋ / -k in the auslaut independent and phonetically determined positions in the Southern, Central, and Northern dialects of the Selkup language. The Ivankino subdialect of the central Ob dialect is also distinguished as a transition zone between the southern and central areas. The study is carried out using corpus data based on written sources. In phonetically independent positions – in isolated use of word forms and before pauses (before dots and commas) - the distribution of homorganic nasal and stop consonants in the auslaut is meant as a dialect feature: Southern -m, -n, -ŋ; Central -p, -t, -k; Northern -m/-p (~Ø), -n/-t (~Ø), -ŋ/-k (~Ø); transition zone -m / -p, -n / -t, -ŋ / -k (depending on the speaker’s idiolect). In phonetically determined positions – continuous pronunciation that does not imply a pause in speech - the following distribution of consonants applies: Central: -p, -t, -k + noise consonant ~ -m, -n, -ŋ + sonorant consonant / -m, -n, -ŋ + vowel; Northern (based on the Taz dialect): -m, -n, -ŋ + vowel, -m, -n, -ŋ (~ Ø) + nasal consonant, -p, -t, -k (~ Ø) + noise consonant, -m / -p (~Ø), -n / -t (~Ø), -ŋ /-k (~Ø) + non-nasal sonorant consonant. In the Southern dialects, the rules of the phonetic environment do not work; the consonants -m, -n, -ŋ are always used. In the transitional Ivankino subdialect of the Middle Ob dialect, the distribution in contextual positions does not always work due to the Southern dialectal characteristics of the individual speakers. The combinatorial phenomena considered in the Selkup dialects represent a general trend rather than a strict rule.

Keywords: homorganic consonants, auslaut, combinatorial phenomena, corpus data, Selkup language