Case Markers with Destinative and Translative Functions in Selkup Dialects
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6119-2026-3-34-44
This paper examines the functioning of the destinative markers -qo/-go, destinative-translative markers qo/-go, and the translative markers -gle (-mble, -lemble, -pule) in Selkup dialects. Until now, no comprehensive comparative analysis of these suffixes across different dialects has been conducted, and relatively limited materials have been used for discussion. The research is based on the analysis of an extensive corpus and archival data for an unwritten language; previously published works are also taken into account. Materials from the 19th to 21st centuries are drawn upon, covering the southern, transitional, central, and northern linguistic zones. It was found that, in the central and northern dialects, the suffix -qo/-go has destinative, translative-target, and translative functions and can be referred to as a destinative-translative case marker. In turn, in the southern and transitional dialects, the translative function is not manifested, and therefore it is considered a destinative case marker. The translative marker -gle (-mble, -lemble, -pule) emerged as an independent case in the southern and transitional dialects, displacing this translative function from the destinative-translative case marker -qo/-go. From a semantic perspective, a noun in the destinative-translative and destinative cases can assume the semantic roles of Goal, Stimulus, Cause, Benefactive, Object of comparison, Object of action, Time, Purpose, and Manner. Additionally, in the central and northern dialects, a noun in the destinative-translative can be manifested as a Development / Transformation, exhibiting a translative function. A similar semantic role is encoded in the southern and transitional dialects using the translative case. As an exception, in the Laskino sub-dialect of the central Narym dialect, the translative function is present in both types of markers: -qo/-go and -lʲe, -mble, -lemble. The suffixes of the destinative-translative -qo/-go and separately the destinative -qo/-go, and the translative -gle (-mble, -lemble, pule) form two largely non-overlapping areas.
Keywords: destinative, destinative-translative, translative, case semantics, linguistic areas, Selkup dialects
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Issue: 3, 2026
Series of issue: Issue 3
Rubric: LINGUISTICS
Pages: 34 — 44
Downloads: 41