[{"id":938,"title":"Problems in Erzya subject-object-conjugation ambiguity","sha":"fc0d9c8d50420092baf48a1b72109203","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"The Mordvin languages, Erzya and Moksha, are known for their subject and subject-object marking. The cellular structure and usage in the sibling languages diverge. Here, I discribe phenomena in Erzya.\r\nThe subject-object marking in Erzya involves ambiguity and non-ambiguity for 28 non-reflexive relations.\r\nIn the non-past indicatitve, these relations are represented by 15 formatives that can be divided into groups of ten non-ambiguous, 3 two-way ambiguous, and two six-way ambiguous formatives.\r\n\r\nNon-ambiguity comprises pairs of specific singular arguments and singular subjects with third person plural objects.\r\nPlural subjects with third-person objects are two-way ambiguous.\r\nThe remainder comprises two sets of six-way-ambiguous formatives.\r\n\r\nActually, the last set represents seven-way ambiguity, as the third-person-plural form represents an indefinite actor singular or plural. \r\nThus an example:\r\n«Molʲan lučše vastomot karman, štobu kijak avolʲidʲizʲ nʲejtʲ.» 'Better yet, I'll go and meet you[sg], so that nobody[sg] will see you[sg].'\r\nProblem: the indefinite pronoun (kijak[sg] 'anybody') has a plural counterpart (kitʲkak), and yet the non-specific, indefinite singular is referenced in the subject marking as third person plural. There is an overlap of formatives in four cells. \r\nQuestions: Should multiambiguity be seen as default object conjugation marking, and how is the plural indefinite prounoun used?","created_at":"2022-05-02T09:59:53.773Z","updated_at":"2023-09-03T18:11:57.492Z","zenodo_id":6643877,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6643877","subject":null,"tags":["erzya language","uralic languages","verbal conjugation","object marking","ambiguity","finite-state morphology","linguistics"],"vote_count":1,"view_count":1,"score":1.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1007,"title":"Shallow-transfer problems in Erzya-Moksha conjunctive-preterite2 syncretism","sha":"97022095f12e3b681120870cb53bf2eb","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"The Mordvin languages, Erzya and Moksha, have as many as eight moods, including the Conj(unctive), and Ind(icative).  Both languages have two Ind preterites (Prt1, Prt2) and a non-past. In Erzya, Prt2 and Conj have distinct morphology, whereas, in Moksha, the two are syncretic. In a preliminar parallel corpus test, three measures were taken: \r\n(1) the causal conjunction 'in order to' /štobu/ (Erzya), /štoba/ (Moksha) was counted for co-occurrence with finite and non-finite verbal forms; \r\n(2) the number of Conj vs Ind Prt2 forms were counted where the causal conjunction was absent, and \r\n(3) the corresponding predicates were established for the forms attested in (2). \r\nMoksha Conj, Erzya Opt/Conj – 4/56. \r\nMore divergence was found in the absence of clausal conjunction structures.\r\nMoksha: 5 Conj, 1 Prt2 reading.\r\nErzya 4 Conj, 17 Prt2 readings.\r\nOnly one Moksha conjunctive lacked a parallel in Erzya; \r\nOf the remaining 16 Prt2 in Erzya, 13 had Freq + Prt1 Moksha correlates, two had copula correlates, and one was lacking a correlate due to changes in the text. \r\nThe virtual absence of Ind Prt2 forms in the Moksha text is curious. \r\nAdditional work will be needed to establish regular frequentative derivation patterns for Erzya-to-Moksha transfer, whereas the reverse is complex.","created_at":"2022-09-18T13:51:59.169Z","updated_at":"2023-09-03T18:11:55.362Z","zenodo_id":7232614,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7232614","subject":null,"tags":["erzya language","moksha language","morphology","syncretism","conjunctive","second preterite","shallow-transfer machine translation","mordvin","uralic","apertium","giellalt","emerald"],"vote_count":1,"view_count":1,"score":1.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1084,"title":"Morphophonological Approach to Lushootseed Reduplication Research","sha":"ae37a6d002688ae9c411592481870b8e","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Lushootseed reduplication is fascinating.\r\nAccording to Bates, Hess and Hilbert (1994: xvii; Hess and Hilbert 1977; Bates 1986), there are seven different types of reduplication in Lushootseed. This assessment is associated with morphological and semantic phenomena observed in verb and nominal derivation.\r\nIn this paper, I will take an entirely morphophonological approach to what I have observed in the limited data available. My point of departure is based on three statements:\r\n(1) reduplication in Lushootseed is associated with a three-letter reduplication segment;\r\n(2) reduplication can involve the first two, all three or the last two letters of the reduplication segment;\r\n(3) simultaneous reduplication can be observed.\r\nA large set of subtags are established for desriptive analyses of the phenomena involved in Lushootseed reduplication. The tags +Der/Dimin and +Der/Distr are used as links between two general semantic concepts and specific reduplication patterns in the data. Arabic numerals pertaining to position in the reduplication segment illustrate deduplication patterns with the help of suppletive letters and consonants. Thus, the tag +Der/Dimin_1i123 indicates the reduplication in bədaʔ 'child' \u003e  bi-bədaʔ 'small child', and +Der/Distr_123123 the reduplication in pišpiš 'cat' \u003e piš-pišpiš 'cats'.\r\nResearch questions include diminutive vs distributive heirarchy and pattern compatibility in wordclasses.","created_at":"2023-02-14T12:06:19.275Z","updated_at":"2023-09-03T18:11:53.375Z","zenodo_id":7662896,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7662896","subject":null,"tags":["finite-state morphology","reduplication","lushootseed diminutive","lushootseed distributive","txʷəlšucid","dxʷləšucid","salishan"],"vote_count":1,"view_count":1,"score":1.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1182,"title":"On the number of person and number categories in Mordvinic","sha":"49cc43bca1b076b4d7a1ed1105d1e514","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"In the finite-state description of Erzya and Moksha, four different types of person and number are attested. Personal and emphatic pronouns are tagged (Sg1, Sg2, Sg3, Pl1, Pl2, Pl3). Possessor indexing is indicated with ‹Px›: PxSg1, PxSg2,... Subject/Agent indexing on the predicate is tagged ‹Sc›: ScSg1, ScSg2,..., and object indexing is tagged with ‹Oc› on finite verbs: OcSg1, OcSg2,...\r\n\r\nThree sets of categories co-occur in portmanteau subject-object indexing, nominative-case pronoun and subject indexing, and possessor index and subject index.\r\n\r\nBoth languages have copula subject indexing on nominals, adverbs and non-finite verbal forms.  In Moksha, even personal pronouns can take subject indexing: «Ton-at?» ‹Sg2-ScSg2› `Is that you?` \u003csg1 and sg2 have arranged to meet. Sg1 hears sound\u003e.\r\n\r\nSubject indexing variation occurs in non-introductory equative clauses. The minimal pair (a) «mon doktor-ś-an» ‹Sg1 doctor-Nominative.Def.Sg-ScSg1› `I'm the doctor` \u003cyou wanted to meet the doctor\u003e, and (b) «mon doktor-ś» ‹Sg1 doctor-Nominative.Def.Sg› `I am the doctor` \u003ctelling you about myself\u003e illustrate a morphological distinction between ScSg1 and ScSg3 marking according to discourse topic, with Sg1 subject in (a) but predicate in (b), hence zero or (ScSg3) marking.\r\n\r\nSubject and possessor indexing also occur: «Jalga-z-an» ‹friend-PxSg3-ScSg1› `I am his/her friend`.\r\n\r\nFinally, universal quantifiers with possessor index-like indexing are considered pronouns: «kolmone-st-eĺ-t́» ‹3.Coll-Pl3-Pst-ScPl3› `they were three`.","created_at":"2024-02-09T19:37:08.702Z","updated_at":"2024-08-06T20:17:25.991Z","zenodo_id":10703050,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10703050","subject":null,"tags":["erzya","moksha","number categories","person categories","finite-state description"],"vote_count":1,"view_count":1,"score":1.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null}]