Parametric model of the voice in the Ob-Ugric languages
English
journal number:
Journal’s Subject Headings:
Philology
About author:
N. А. Muravyov National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Moscow, Russian Federation, [email protected]
D. O. Zhornik Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy Sciences, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Moscow, Russian Federation, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the article considers the voice in the Ob-Ugric languages: Northern Khanty and Northern Mansi. The choice of voice in these languages is usually described in terms of semantic roles and information structure. Such an approach has shown to produce multiple exceptions and questions, which require further investigation.
Objective: to describe the choice of voice, at the same time highlighting similarities and differences between the systems found in the two languages.
Research materials: field data from Kazym Khanty and Upper Lozva Mansi gathered by the authors as well as corpora from the same dialects.
Results and novelty of the research: this paper provides a parametric approach, which includes not only information structure, but also other factors: animacy, referentiality, volition and affectedness. The main conclusion is that the choice of voice is based on the participants’ salience, which is defined by the sum of the abovementioned parameters. If the Agent is more salient, active is used. Otherwise, passive is used. This model allows us to correctly describe the majority of examples previously claimed to be but exceptions.
Key words: Ob-Ugric languages, passive voice, typology, field linguistics, information structure, salience
Acknowledgements: the research was funded by the RSF grant № 19-78-10139 “Argument structure, voice and valencychanging derivations in languages of Western Siberia”, 2019-2022, under the guidance of D. A. Ryzhova.
For citation: Muravyov N. А., Zhornik D. O. Parametric model of the voice in the Ob-Ugric languages // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2023; 13 (1/52): 112-124.
Introduction: the article considers the voice in the Ob-Ugric languages: Northern Khanty and Northern Mansi. The choice of voice in these languages is usually described in terms of semantic roles and information structure. Such an approach has shown to produce multiple exceptions and questions, which require further investigation.
Objective: to describe the choice of voice, at the same time highlighting similarities and differences between the systems found in the two languages.
Research materials: field data from Kazym Khanty and Upper Lozva Mansi gathered by the authors as well as corpora from the same dialects.
Results and novelty of the research: this paper provides a parametric approach, which includes not only information structure, but also other factors: animacy, referentiality, volition and affectedness. The main conclusion is that the choice of voice is based on the participants’ salience, which is defined by the sum of the abovementioned parameters. If the Agent is more salient, active is used. Otherwise, passive is used. This model allows us to correctly describe the majority of examples previously claimed to be but exceptions.
Key words: Ob-Ugric languages, passive voice, typology, field linguistics, information structure, salience
Acknowledgements: the research was funded by the RSF grant № 19-78-10139 “Argument structure, voice and valencychanging derivations in languages of Western Siberia”, 2019-2022, under the guidance of D. A. Ryzhova.
For citation: Muravyov N. А., Zhornik D. O. Parametric model of the voice in the Ob-Ugric languages // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2023; 13 (1/52): 112-124.
