Issue 2, 2022

Read abstract

The prevailing semantics of Russian and Slavic nouns with the prefix *na- is determined by the primary function of the prefix — it designates an object as located on top of the root noun: Slav. *narǫka ‘bracelet’ (lit. ‘thing on top of hand’).

However, another type of correlation between the semantics of the prefixed noun and the root noun is possible: the root noun in this case denotes the object itself, which, thanks to the preceding prefix, is characterized as located on top, so that the derived noun corresponds semantically to a reverse arrangement of the root noun and prefix — ‘object (which) is on top’, see Slav. *naledъ ‘ice-crusted ground’ (lit. ‘ice that is on top’).

The emergence of this semantic pattern of denominative nouns with the prefix *na- can be explained by the patterning influence of nouns derived from prefixed verbs: cf. Slav. *nasypati ‘pour on/into’ → *nasypь ‘embankment’.

Key words: prefix functions, nominal derivation of prefixed nouns, verbal derivation of nouns

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-11-16

Read abstract

The present article contains additional information about the history of the word thaler as a borrowing in Russian and Belarusian. Observations are made on the destiny of this word in the history of the Russian and Belarusian languages.

Key words: Old Russian, Old Belarusian, thaler, monetary units, lexical borrowing

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-17-24

Read abstract

The present article is devoted to the previously undescribed usage of the Russian in-law term snokha as ‘brother’s wife’. The General Web-corpus of the Russian Language helps to define the area of such usage as Middle Volga — Southern Urals. The term nevestka in this area is used as the diminutive of nevesta ‘bride’.

Key words: Russian affinity system, in-law terminology, regional variants of standard language, Big Data in linguistic analysis

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-25-34

Read abstract

The article explores some peculiarities in the variety of Russian used by Hill Mari native speakers that may have a contact-induced nature. Several grammatical phenomena are considered, as well as polysemy patterns in the lexicon. The data are compared to research on other contact situations involving Russian.

Keywords: Hill Mari, Russian, language contact, areal linguistics

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-35-51

Read abstract

The analysis of late Iranian loanwords in Finno-Ugric languages spoken in the Ural Mountains region demonstrates that there is no specifically Scythian-Sarmatian layer of borrowings in these languages. The representative group of loanwords ref lects contact with the Ossetic language in particular.

Key words: Ossetic, Finno-Ugric, Hungarian, Komi, Udmurt, Khanty, Mansi, language contact, borrowings

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-52-66

Read abstract

This paper deals with head-marked nominal possessors in Nganasan, i. e., constructions with the possessor in the Nominative and possessive markers on the possessee. It is shown that this construction is only used when the possessor is topical and the possessee is in focus. All other combinations of topic/focus and possessor/possessee with a nominal possessor use the standard dependent-marking construction: the possessor stands in the Genitive and the possessee is unmarked.

Keywords: Nganasan, possessive construction, head-marking

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-67-88

Read abstract

The present article deals with the most frequently-occurring kinds of grammatical ellipsis encountered in Russian sentences.

We discuss the grammatical conditions of ellipsis appearance — situations of potential iteration of words or phrases in the syntactic structure of the sentence.

Such ellipses can be considered specific forms of anaphoric replacement.

The analysis of the most important syntactic and morphological features of ellipsis — the absence of the noun in a noun phrase, predicate actants, or entire sentence fragments — shows how these anomalies can be used in the early stages of automatic analysis when searching for ellipses and their antecedents.

Keywords: grammatical ellipsis, anaphoric replacement, automatic analysis, syntactic conditions of ellipsis appearance, ellipsis recovery

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-89-119

Read abstract

Semantic and structural analysis of 1037 pluralia tantum nominals from Hungarian dictionaries allows us to identify a total of 14 pluralia tantum thematic groups and one group of metaphorical nominals. We also examine pluralia tantum nominals according to their structure and syntactic features and make some observations on historical change in the Hungarian pluralia tantum corpus.

Keywords: pluralia tantum, paradigm, number, lexicology

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-120-131

Read abstract

The present article investigates variation in the forms of word roots as presented in the “Dictionary of Morphemes of the Russian Language” by A. I. Kuznetsova and T. F. Efremova (Moscow, 1986). The following conclusions are drawn: the root is a historical concept, and its composition should be determined in relation to a specific historical era: Proto-Indo-European (PIE), Proto-Slavic or Common-Slavic (in the East or South Slavic version). The allophones of the roots of PIE antiquity {e/o/ø} represent a hyperphoneme, with a morphologized distribution of alternative forms, and the lexical meaning of such roots is expressed by consonants and sonants. The closer to the root, the further away from modernity. The division of a word into morphemes should be carried out to the maximum historical depth. A derived word is not a point in an affixal coordinate system, but a trajectory with a number of steps equal to the number of affixes.

Keywords: Ariadna Kuznetsova, Dictionary of morphemes of the Russian language, variation in Russian word roots, historicism in the understanding of the root, the number of Russian roots, agglutination and fusion in the Russian root, allophones and polyphones

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-132-145

Read abstract

The article analyzes the first ABC books and textbooks on the Ingrian language, produced during the short-lived period of Ingrian literacy in the 1930s. Certain inconsistencies are described in the development of each subsequent textbook in relation to the previous ones. The very brief history of the existence of the Ingrian script — from 1932 to 1937 — saw the implementation of two different alphabets, as well as changes in the spelling principles. The article also discusses the renewed attempt to develop a written language for contemporary Ingrian, together with a textbook that meets present needs.

Keywords: Ingrian language, writing, ABC books, language development

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-146-157

Read abstract

Sometimes participants in the communicative process use a conscious strategy of hampering or preventing understanding. This strategy comes in two varieties. The speaker can speak in a way that keeps outsiders from understanding: secret languages. Besides this, speakers can use a language (or language variety) in any situation, regardless of whether or not the fellow interlocutor knows this language. Such a strategy is related to the need for identity. For instance, in Belorussia some nationalistically-minded people choose to speak only Belorussian even with monolingual Russian speakers. In doing this, they emphasize the prestige of Belorussian even though it increases the difficulty in communicating.

Keywords: communicative strategies, speaker, understanding, secret languages, need for identity, language prestige

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-158-163

Read abstract

In the history of the development of writing in the Khanty language, different dialects successively replaced each other as the basis for the literary language. The initial variants of the written language were developed on the basis of the northern Obdorsk and Kazym dialects; however, in the 1940s-1950s the transition was made to the Middle Ob dialect, in which a large quantity of educational and fictional literature was translated and published. The present article analyzes the materials of the District Conference on the selection of the literary Khanty language, published in the newspaper «Ostyako-Vogulskaya PRAVDA» dated June 29, 1940, which substantiates the need to switch to the Middle Ob dialect. The contribution of P. K. Zhivotikov to the justification of the choice of a new dialect basis for the formation of a literary language is noted.

Keywords: Khanty language, Middle Ob dialect, written language, literary language, P. K. Zhivotikov

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-164-184

Read abstract

The article discusses the need to create an electronic database of metadata collected during the linguistic survey of informants. The survey was conducted for about 10 years in the process of collecting dialect material for electronic corpora and the atlas of the Turkic languages of Southern Siberia.

Keywords: field linguistics, dialectology, metadata, databases

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-185-197

Read abstract

The present article examines the lexical-semantic group of terms encompassing celestial bodies and atmospheric phenomena in the languages of the Pamir-Hindu Kush peoples. It deals with the role of these bodies and phenomena in determining seasonal and daily time cycles in the agricultural calendar, as well as the formation of their names in these traditional societies. The article shows distinctive linguacultural elements in the way these celestial bodies and atmospheric phenomena are envisioned by the peoples of the region, as well as specific idiomatic expressions that use these astronyms as key elements.

Keywords: Iranian languages, Pamir languages, Shughnani, Wakhi, Tajik, Pamir-Hindu Kush region, astronym

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-198-219

Read abstract

Riddles can be looked at as idiomatic expressions. The function of a riddle in the folklore of some Northern peoples of Russia is to pass on their worldview in teaching children, and riddles are used for such a purpose to the present day. We show that in the folklore of the Northern peoples, the riddle also has a sacral significance: the riddle’s text is a trial, and passing this trial confirms the person’s right to a reward and to achieve a higher status in the social hierarchy.

Keywords: Northern Uralic peoples, folklore, riddles, idiomatic expressions, worldview, allegory, sacrality

DOI: 10.37892/2313-5816-2022-2-220-234