Issue 1, 2026

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In 1984, M. Beerle-Moore defended her dissertation titled “Studien zum lesgischen Verb” (Studies on the Lezgi Verb), which was published as a separate volume in 1985.

From 1997 to 2013, Marianne Beerle-Moore headed the Institute for Bible Translation in Moscow. She was a figure who, in many ways, shaped the Institute’s identity in Russia, defining not only its areas of focus but also the very atmosphere of community life at the Institute, which brought together people of different nationalities and faiths living throughout Russia and in other countries.

The development and promotion of the languages of Russia and neighboring countries have always been among Marianna Beerle-Moore’s top priorities. Under her leadership, the Institute for Bible Translation, in collaboration with the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, held academic conferences on Bible translation and language development (1996, 2000, and 2008). She also supported M. E. Alekseev’s idea to launch the journal “Rodnoy Yazyk” (Native Language), the first issue of which was published in 2013.

After stepping down as director of the Institute for Bible Translation in 2013, Marianna continued to work as a consultant on the Lezgi project, which had once marked the beginning of her journey in Bible translation. In April 2026, she traveled to Makhachkala for her final consultation before work began on preparing the complete Bible in the Lezgi language for publication.

Marianna Beerle-Moore initiated the publication of a multilingual edition containing biblical texts (“The Birth of Jesus Christ: The Gospel of Luke 2:1–20 in 80 Languages of the CIS Countries,” 2000; “In the Beginning Was the Word: The Gospel of John 1:1–17 in 76 (80) Languages”, 2008, 2011). Most recently, she worked on the publication of “The Lord’s Prayer”—a collection of the Lord’s Prayer in more than 100 languages with extensive scholarly notes (including transliteration and glosses). Ahead of the publication of this edition, one issue of the journal “Rodnoy Yazyk” (1, 2019) was devoted to a comparative linguistic analysis of translations of “The Lord’s Prayer” by various authors and from different eras, as well as a historical overview of some of these translations.

Marianna Beerle-Moore’s work made an invaluable contribution to the translation of the Holy Scriptures into the languages of the peoples of Russia and neighboring countries, as well as to the development of those languages. Everyone who had the privilege of working with Marianna will remember her with great gratitude and warmth!

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-6-8

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This article examines the syntax of constructions with aspectual verbs in Sakha (a.k.a. Yakut). Such constructions contain two predicates: a lexical verb which is a converb, and a finite aspectual verb that conveys some grammatical meaning. The syntax of such constructions has already been studied for some other Turkic languages. The present research examines the position of the passive, causative, and negation affixes in constructions with aspectual verbs and the scope of these affixes, as well as the scope of the meanings of these affixes relative to the meanings of the aspectual verbs. Based on field data, this article shows that the syntax of Sakha clauses with aspectual verbs differs from most other Turkic languages. The position of the passive, causative, and negation affixes in these constructions is limited more strictly. The article demonstrates that the analysis developed by P. V. Grashchenkov for other Turkic languages does not fit Sakha. Sakha constructions with aspectual verbs are better analysed as constructions with restructuring verbs.

Keywords: Sakha, syntax, aspect, auxiliary verbs, restructuring, passive, causative, negation, Turkic languages

For citation: Barkova L. A. On the syntax of clauses with aspectual verbs in Sakha. Rodnoy yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1: 9–58.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-9-58

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In this article I discuss weather constructions in the Chukchi language, focusing on the morphosyntactic means by which Chukchi expresses events related to weather and natural phenomena. Both dynamic situations, such as rain or lightning, and static ones, such as temperature or lighting conditions, are usually included in discussions of weather constructions. Chukchi expresses such events by means of morphology and syntax that not only differ from the more widely explored means in other languages of Eurasia, but also do not fit very well into the accepted classifications of weather constructions. Thus, in Chukchi, information about a weather event is syntactically included in the predicate word form, but the main lexical information about the event in question is conveyed by nominal roots. Thus, it’s difficult to characterize the lexicalization of weather in Chukchi as limited to either the nominal or verbal domain, nor as a mixed domain that is expressed by both types of word forms. The primary lexical meaning and the more abstract predicative meaning in Chukchi are indeed divided between morphemes of different lexical classes, but both such morphemes are almost always combined into a single predicative word form. Such a “duality” in Chukchi is possible due to productive incorporation and denominal verbalization (including constructions formed via so-called lexical affixes) in the weather domain. These two morphosyntactic strategies also demonstrate the same formal similarities when describing more spatially localized natural phenomena (ice melting, avalanches): in these particular constructions, zero-place impersonal clauses are possible, and in some cases, transimpersonal ones. Thus, in the case of Chukchi, one can speak of a special status for “natural phenomena” clauses, which, in particular, include weather clauses. Such morphosyntactic constructions and the restrictions on their formation are of particular interest and require further study. However, in this article, we can already note that they demonstrate complex constraints on the structure of an event when choosing between a transitive transimpersonal and an intransitive construction. Additionally, one can observe nontrivial lexical restrictions on the possibility of forming a zero-place impersonal construction: the latter, apparently, is possible only for certain natural (as opposed to human-related) situations.

Keywords: Chukchi language; weather constructions; noun incorporation; denominal verbalizers; lexical affixes; transimpersonal constructions

For citation: Vinyar A. I. Chukchi weather expressions: Stem formation, incorporation and transimpersonal constructions. Rodnoy yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1: 59–97.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-59-97

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The present paper analyzes the interpretation of underived verb bases of various actional classes in the Evenki language. On the basis of this analysis, it is shown that the underived verb base in Evenki cannot be considered perfective. However, we try to show that the underived Evenki verb base can in broad terms be related to telicity. It has been demonstrated that all Evenki underived bases, except those that denote constant states, are interpreted as events, as processes or states that are time-bound, or as processes that are telic, or have ended. In particular, we consider in detail the telic verb base interpretation, the “delimitative” interpretation (in the context of a time period adverbial), as well as the interpretation of an atelic verb or a stative verb as denoting a situation that has ended because of a reason not related to the situation’s internal structure. Thus, the interpretation of an underived verb base strongly depends on the context. The interpretations above can be related to telicity in a broad sense, a.k.a. “terminativity”. It is also shown that aspect in Evenki cannot be regarded as derivational in the system of S.G. Tatevosov, in spite of the fact that thebmeaning of the underived base correlates with the meaning of a perfective base.

Keywords: Evenki, aspect, base, telicity, terminativity

For citation: Rudnitskaya E. L. Actional properties of an underived verb base in Evenki. Rodnoy yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1: 98–121.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-98-121

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The present article focuses on the morphological causative marked by the prefix m- in Christian Urmi (< North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic). The study is based on field data collected from speakers in the village of Urmiya, the city of Krymsk, and the village of Verin Dvin. Dictionary data and text corpora were also used. The paper describes the productivity of this derivation and the argument structure of causative constructions. The prefix m-, traditionally interpreted as part of the root (pattern III), is analyzed here as a separate causative marker.

The study shows that the prefix m- displays higher realized productivity compared to other means of causativization. At the same time, elicitation data indicate limitations in its use for forming new lexical items.

In the discussion of argument structure in causative constructions, it is shown that the coding of the causee depends on the semantic and syntactic class of the base verb, as was also described by Khan (2016) for Urmi spoken in Iran. In causativization, A-labile verbs behave like intransitives; experiencer causees are introduced by the dative preposition ka, while causativized prototypical transitive verbs assign the causee the position of an oblique object (preposition bi). Additionally, it has been discovered that Urmi also allows variation between dative and instrumental coding of the causee in causatives derived from A-labile and transitive experiencer verbs. A typologically expected contrast is observed: the instrumental preposition bi occurs in constructions where the causee exhibits more volitionality and control than in constructions where the causee appears in direct or indirect object position.

Keywords: morphological causative, Christian Urmi, North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic, argument structure

For citation: Shvedova E. E. The morphological causative in Christian Urmi: Productivity and argument structure. Rodnoy Yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1: 122–168.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-122-168

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This study presents the first systematic comparison of ana­phoric uses of demonstratives in two East Caucasian languages, Kina Rutul (Lezgic) and Mehweb Dargwa (Dargic). Both languages lack dedicated third-person pronouns and employ demonstratives anaphorically in both pronominal and adnominal positions. Data from thirteen Kina Rutul and nine Mehweb Dargwa Pear Stories show that the default demonstrative (in terms of frequency) differs in the two languages: it is the proximal in Kina Rutul and the distal in Mehweb Dargwa. Demonstratives are found to differ with respect to the discourse prominence of the referent and the number of its previous mentions — that is, whether a demonstrative is used for the second or a subsequent mention of the referent in the text [Kibrik 2011: 363]. The proximal in both languages more often refers to more prominent referents than the medial and the distal. Drawing on Ariel’s [1990] accessibility theory, the study tests whether proximal, medial, and distal demonstratives differ iconically, according to their exophoric semantics, in terms of anaphoric distance [Givón 1983] and referent accessibility. In both languages, the distal demonstrative in adnominal uses, often used for referent reactivation [Kibrik 2011: 413], occurs at greater average anaphoric distances than other demonstratives, supporting an iconic link between its exophoric meaning and anaphoric distance. Pronominal uses, by contrast, show no such correlation. The medial demonstrative, in both its adnominal and pronominal uses, displays similar or even shorter average anaphoric distances than the proximal in both languages, therefore arguing against the hypothesized iconicity link between its exophoric and anaphoric uses.

Keywords: demonstratives, anaphora, anaphoric distance, accessibility theory, East Caucasian

Acknowledgements: I am grateful to Saida Magomedova, Patimat Musaeva and Saadi Suleimanov for their help with transcribing the Pear Stories, which serve as the main data source for this study, as well as to the other residents of the villages of Kina and Mehweb. I also thank Michael Daniel, Timur Maisak, and Polina Nasledskova for their input on the study, and the two anonymous referees for their valuable questions and comments, which helped improve the clarity and precision of the paper.

For citation: Mukhin T. Anaphoric uses of demonstratives in Kina Rutul and Mehweb Dargwa. Rodnoy yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1:169–193.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-169-193

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This article presents the statistical results of a study conducted using M. Vasmer’s “Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language.” The subject of study was Turkic borrowings, as well as lexemes from other languages that entered Russian via Turkic languages. The study allowed us to quantify the number of loanwords from each Turkic language subgroup that entered Russian, based on historical phonetics and modern dictionary data.

The total number of neutral borrowings that entered Russian is just over 330, representing a significant amount of vocabulary and characterizing the intensity of contacts between the Slavic and Turkic peoples over the centuries. The main sources of Turkic borrowings were Oghuz and Kipchak languages, specifically Turkish and Tatar. Orientalisms (i. e. borrowings from Arabic and Persian), were also adopted into Russian via Turkic languages. Almost half of the Oghuz loanwords are etymologically Orientalisms. The attestation of an intermediary language is evident in the phonetic form of words and meanings that have penetrated into Russian. Mongolian loanwords entered Russian via the Kipchak and Siberian Turkic languages.

Of the total number of Turkic borrowings, estimated at 1,027 based on Vasmer’s dictionary, approximately half have a limited geographical distribution. Of the total number of Orientalisms (269), approximately 40% are geographically limited.

In our research all borrowings were provided with semantic tags. A verified list of these is included in the article. The greatest number of borrowings are found in semantic fields related to humans and society, fabrics and coverings (including clothing), and the names of tools and equipment. Considering the frequency and prevalence of the loanwords, it is possible to identify fields with the highest percentage of lexical borrowing. These fields are associated with color designations, horse breeding, and commodity and monetary designations. The largest number of obsolete words is found in the semantic field that includes military and hunting lexemes.

Keywords: etymology, borrowings, semantic domains, Turkic, Russian, Turkish, Tatar, Mongolian, Arabic, Persian

For citation: Mudrak O. A. Turkic loanwords in the Russian language: Statistical data on etymology, usage and semantics. Rodnoy yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1: 194–229.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-194-229

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Dedicated to the memory of
Firdaus Gilmitdinovna Khisamitdinova (1950–2023),
who devoted her entire life to the study,
preservation and promotion of the Bashkir language.

The present article discusses the dialectal names of plant terms borrowed from Arabic and Persian into the Bashkir language. In Bashkir dialects and sub-dialects, there is a significant number of words from this lexical and thematic group of Middle Eastern origin that contain a borrowed component and are not used in the literary language. The article provides etymologies of dialectal plant names and their connection to names associated with characters from early Turkic mythology and Islamic saints. Based on etymological analyses, it is concluded that this layer of vocabulary is not always associated with the spread of Islam among the Bashkirs and other Turkic peoples, as has been traditionally believed. The folk names of plants, mostly flowers and herbs, ref lect the successive layers of different types of religious beliefs that Bashkir speakers have experienced over many centuries. They reveal the syncretism of biblical characters and Islamic prophets, as well as the belief in the healing powers of holy spirits and mythical figures. Dialectal data ref lects such contamination better than the literary language, as it is in folk names that the most ancient ideas about the world around us are preserved.

Keywords: Bashkir language, dialectal vocabulary, etymology, Arabic and Persian borrowings, plant names, etymological analysis, Middle Eastern vocabulary, religious beliefs

For citation: Ekba Z. N. Popular names of plants of Arabic and Persian origin in Bashkir dialects (based on the Dictionary of Bashkir Mythology by F. G. Khisamitdinova). Rodnoy yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1: 230–248.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-230-248

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This article presents a folk tale in the Middle Ob dialect of Khanty, which was passed on to the author of the article by Galina Ivanovna Tribus during a field trip to the village of Sherkaly. The tale, «Kŭrәŋ wɔj pa aj wojle» (“The Moose and the Mouse”), was told by the famous Khanty musician and folklore expert Vladimir Ivanovich Yudin and recorded by G. I. Tribus. It should be noted that during field research two elderly speakers were identified who speak the Middle Ob dialect of the Khanty language. This dialect belongs to the northern (western) group of dialects and is currently in the process of extinction. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Middle Ob dialect was predominant, with intensive publication of educational and translated literature. This article provides a brief overview of the Middle Ob (Sherkal) dialect, one of the northern variants. Despite the similarities within this group of dialects, there are certain distinctive features. For example, the sound [t] in the Middle Ob dialect corresponds to [λ] in the Kazym dialect and [ł] in the Shuryshkar and Obdorsk dialects; [ǫ] in the Kazym dialect corresponds to [ū] in the Sherkal dialect and [ū] in the Shuryshkar and Obdorsk dialects. The locative-instrumental case suffix is -әn ​​ in the Kazym and Shuryshkar dialects, -na in the Obdorsk and Sherkal dialects. Linguistic analysis identified the following features characteristic of the Middle Ob dialect: the infinitive marker =та, for example, Па хŏйат пŏтәр=та питәс ‘Someone began to speak’; the locative-instrumental case marker =на, Тўв хŏнәт=на хŏйат йăӈхәт ‘Someone is walking around in the stomach’. Phonetic differences: the coronal voiced plosive т [t] instead of the coronal voiced lateral ԓ [λ] in the Kazym dialect; the use of the short rounded vowel ŏ [o] instead of the short rounded у [ŏ] in the Kazym dialect. Lexical units characteristic of this variant are presented: кăша ‘very’, тут ‘mouth’. The text of the tale is transcribed in the improved graphic system of Khanty and is accompanied by a Russian translation and interlinear morphemic glossing.

Keywords: Khanty language, Middle Ob dialect, folk tale, Moose, Mouse

For citation: Moldanova I. M. Kŭrәŋ wɔj pa aj wɔjle [The Moose and the Mouse]: A folk tale in the Middle Ob dialect of Khanty. Rodnoy yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1: 249–265.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-249-265

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The article contains a transcription and linguistic analysis of a fragment of a field recording of spontaneous speech in the Lower Luga dialect of the Ingrian (Izhorian) language. To date, very few texts in this dialect have been published. The recording was made on February 20, 2022, in the village of Vanakülä, Kingisepp District, Leningrad Region, of J. J. Varkki, a native speaker of Lower Luga Ingrian. His idiolect demonstrates the complex consequences of prolonged language contact between Lower Luga Ingrian and Lower Luga Ingrian Finnish, as the village of Vanakülä historically had both Ingrian and Ingrian Fin­nish in use. This article provides a multi-tiered transcription: a detailed phonetic transcription ref lecting unstressed vowel reduction and contraction in the f low of speech, as well as a phonological transcription with morphemic segmentation and glossing. Special attention is paid to the phonetic and phonological features of Lower Luga Ingrian, particularly the reduction of unstressed vowels and their realization in the language consultant’s speech. Based on this analysis of spontaneous speech, the mechanisms of intra-clausal code-switching between Ingrian and Russian are described, along with instances of morphological adaptation of Russian lexemes through the addition of Igrian case and number markers. The authors discuss the problem of distinguishing between established borrowings and situational code-switches, drawing on contemporary theoretical approaches (P. Muysken, C. Myers-Scotton, C. Pfaff). The primary criterion for identifying borrowings is the presence of the corresponding lexemes in R. E. Nirvi’s dictionary. Special attention is also devoted to complex cases of mophophonology. The published text, thematically centered on stories about wild animals (boars, wolves, bears) and their interaction with humans, clearly illustrates key features of language shift and contact phenomena characteristic of the Lower Luga area. This article introduces new material into scholarly circulation, which is important for further research into the phonology and morphology of the Lower Luga Ingrian dialect.

Key words: Ingrian language, Lower Luga dialect, code-switching, spontaneous speech, language contact, prolative

For citation: Muslimov M. Z., Ulianitckaia L. A. Text about boars, bears and wolves in Lower Luga Ingrian. Rodnoy yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1: 266–288.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-266-288

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This article presents two narrative texts based on the plot of the folk tale “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats” in the Inkhokwari and Khwarshi proper dialects of Khwarshi (Tsezic, Nakh-Daghestanian). The Inkhokwari variant was recorded by R. K. Karimova in 2010 in the village of Oktjabrskoe, Khasavyurtovsky District, Republic of Daghestan. The Khwarshi proper version was documented in Khonokh, Tsumadinsky District, Republic of Daghestan, in 2018. Both texts are presented in a standardized format as annotated texts, each comprising three lines. The first line provides a linguistic transcription of the Khwarshi texts, the second line presents interlinear morphemic glossing, while the third gives a Russian translation and comments. Although speakers of the Khwarshi and Inkhokwari dialects share cultural affinities and common folklore traditions, an analysis of thisтfolk tale reveals disparities in plot structures and character compositions. For example, the openings of the Inkhokwari and Khwarshi proper narratives share a similar structure, yet their conclusions diverge significantly.

The Inkhokwari and Khwarshi proper versions of “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats” have historically adapted to reflect local customs and traditions, incorporating elements unique to the Caucasus. Specifically, these versions include the traditional Muslim salutation “As-salamu alaykum,” meaning “Peace be with you”.

Keywords: folk tale, Khwarshi, translation, glossed text

For citation: Khalilova Z. M. The folk tale “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats” in two Khwarshi dialects. Rodnoy yazyk. Linguistic Journal, 2026, 1: 289–309.

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2026-1-289-309