Non-finites in North Saami SUOMALAIS-UGRILAISEN SEURAN TOIMITUKSIA MÉMOIRES DE LA SOCIÉTÉ FINNO-OUGRIENNE * 257 * Jussi Ylikoski Non-finites in North Saami SOCIÉTÉ FINNO-OUGRIENNE HELSINKI 2009 Jussi Ylikoski: Non-finites in North Saami Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia = Mémoires de la Société Finno-Ougrienne 257. Layout Anna Kurvinen Copyright © 2009 Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura — Société Finno-Ougrienne — Finno-Ugrian Society & Jussi Ylikoski Orders — Tilaukset Tiedekirja Kirkkokatu 14 FI-00170 Helsinki www.tiedekirja.fi [email protected] FAX +358 9 635 017 ISBN 978-952-5667-07-3 ISSN 0355-0230 Vammalan Kirjapaino Oy Sastamala 2009 Abstract The thesis consists of fi ve articles and an introduction with a summarizing and complementing overview of the articles. The study describes the morphology, syntax and semantics of non-fi nite verb forms in contemporary literary North Saami. According to the received view, there are about a dozen non-fi nites in North Saami, but the morphosyntax and semantics of these have not yet been investigated thoroughly. In the present study, these verb forms are re-evaluated from the functional-typological perspec- tives of general linguistics: they are further classifi ed into the subcategories of infi nitives, participles, converbs and action nominals. A major portion of this study discusses adverbial non-fi nites or converbs and comparable action nominal constructions, the types of constructions in which many of the independent converbs originate. On the basis of abundant data on actual language use, it is concluded that contemporary North Saami possesses both old and more recently developed non-fi nites that have not received due at- tention in earlier descriptions of the Saami languages, whereas certain alleged non-fi nites are better analyzed as belonging to the lexicon rather than productive infl ection. An important result of the study is that there are as many as six con- verbs and fi ve participles in the language. The study provides a comprehensive description of the use and mutual relations of these verb forms. In addition to the literary language and traditional dialects of North Saami, the study also addresses corresponding non-fi nites in the immediately neighbor- ing Saami languages. Attention is also paid to the infl uence of the surrounding national languages (Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish) on the morphosyntax of the Saami languages, especially in translations. The North Saami system of non-fi nites is undergoing a process of restruc- turing, and the rise of new non-fi nites through agglutination and analogy in- dicates that the Saami languages have developed not only in the direction of the fusional western European type of language, but recent developments also point back to an agglutinative type characteristic of the Uralic languages. Con- temporary North Saami exhibits considerable morphological variation that may diminish in the future either as a result of unconscious change in the language or through conscious language planning. Abstrákta Nákkosgirjidutkamuš Non-fi nites in North Saami sisttisdoallá vihtta artihkkala ja láidehusa mii čohkke ja dievasmahttá artihkkaliid dutkanbohtosiid. Dutkamuša fáddán lea ii-fi nihtta vearbahámiid morfologiija, syntávs- sa ja semantihka guorahallan erenoamážit dálá čállojuvvon davvisámegielas. Árbevirolaš oainnu mielde davvisámegielas leat sullii dusen ii-fi nihtta vearba- hámi, muhto daid morfosyntávssalaš ja semantihkalaš iešvuođat leat eanas báhcán almmá vuđolaš dutkama haga. Dán dutkamušas duot hámit analysere juvvojit dábálaš gielladiehtaga funktionála-typologalaš doahpagiiguin maid vuođul maiddái sámegiela ii-fi nihtta vearbahámit juhkkojit funkšuvnnaideaset mielde viidáseappot infi nitiivvaide, partisihpaide, konvearbbaide ja dahkunomenii. Váldooassi dutkamušas gieđahallá sámegiela adverbiála vearbahámiid dahjege konvearbbaid ja daidda laktáseaddji dahkunomenráhkadusaid main máŋga iehčanas konvearbahámi leatge historjjálaččat gárggiidan. Viiddes dutkan- materiála vuođul árvvoštallojuvvo, ahte dálá davvisámegielas gávdnojit sihke boares ja ođđaset ii-fi nihtta vearbahámit mat eai leat váldon doarvái vuhtii ovd- dit sámegiela govvádusain; nuppe dáfus ovddit dutkanárbevierru ovdanbuktá ii- fi nihtta sojahanhápmin dihto leksikaliserejuvvon dáhpáhusaid maid ii sáhte atnit aitosaš produktiiva vearbahápmin. Dutkamuša váldoboađusin lea oaidnu, ahte dálá davvisámegielas leat juobe guhtta konvearba- ja vihtta partisihppa hámi. Dutkamuš sisttisdoallá vuđolaš govvádusa duoid hámiid geavaheamis ja daid siskkáldas gaskavuođain. Davvisámegiela čállingiela ja árbevirolaš suopmaniid lassin dutkamušas guorahallojit davvisámegiela lagamus oabbágielaid seammasullasaš ii-fi nihtta hámit, ja vuhtii váldojuvvojit maiddái davvisámegiela hállanguovllu váldogie- laid iešguđetlágan váikkuhusat sámegielaid morfosyntáksii, erenoamážit jor- galusaid bokte. Dutkamušas čájehuvvo, ahte davvisámegiela ii-fi nihtta vearbahá- miid vuogádat lea ođasmuvvamin, ja máŋgga ođđa vearbahámi šaddan sihke agglutinašuvnna ja analogiija bokte čájeha, ahte sámegielat eai leat gárggiidan dušše fusionála oarjeeurohpálaš giellatiippa guvlui, muhto giela varas nuppás- tusat doalahit maiddái giela álgoálgosaš, urálalaš gielaide mihtilmas agglutina- tiiva iešvuođaid. Dálá davvisámi čállingielas vuhtto máŋggalágan morfologalaš variašuvdna, mii sáhttá boahtteáiggis stáđásmuvvat juogo giela lunddolaš gárg- giideami dahje diđolaš giellagáhttendoaimmaid bokte. Caick åbmeg adne sijen påddos / ia caick maite ålmai auteses walda alme wuold adna sijen påddos. Sarnotee Acknowledgements I have been studying the morphology, syntax and semantics of the non-fi nite verb forms in North Saami for quite some time. Now, it is time to draw together the threads, and this includes much more than simply presenting those concrete example sentences, references and pieces of analysis from which my disserta- tion has been woven. I would like to express my gratitude to many people and institutions. My foremost gratitude goes to professors Esa Itkonen and Pekka Sam- mallahti who have guided my academic life in a way that could be characterized as complementary distribution. Even though it does seem possible that I could have become a linguist in other environments as well, it seems impossible to imagine having acquired my personal enthusiasm and passion for linguistics— both as a discipline and a profession—without having heard the most lucid and stimulating lectures by Esa Itkonen at the University of Turku beginning with my fi rst-year studies in general linguistics in 1995. In the same vein, while it may well seem possible for non-native scholars of North Saami to progress in studying the language, the very beginning of such an enterprise would have been quite troublesome without the immense knowledge of the Saami languages pre- sented in the numerous dictionaries and other publications of Pekka Sammallahti under whose supervision I have had the privilege of shaping the present study into its fi nal form. In addition to his unfailing willingness to share both explicit and tacit knowledge of Saami linguistics, I am especially grateful to him for the most fruitful and inspiring discussions in which the students such as myself have always had a right to hold their own views. On my way towards the completion of the present study, I have also had a number of other important teachers and mentors. Not unlike the whole tradition of Saami linguistics, this study is rooted in the wider fi eld of Uralic linguistics, and my understanding of the Saami languages would certainly be much narrower without the broader picture of the whole language family provided by professors Alho Alhoniemi and Sirkka Saarinen of the University of Turku where I took my fi rst steps in the direction of the pre-doctoral odyssey that is now coming to its 8 NON-FINITES IN NORTH SAAMI end. I am also happy to express my thanks to professor Kaisa Häkkinen whose concise yet profound lectures on the Saami languages and their history provided me with my fi rst insights into the subject matter of this research. As regards the theoretical and methodological foundation of my work, I am also indebted to professor Anneli Pajunen, a typologically-minded syntactician who was the fi rst person to explicitly encourage me to become a linguist with a decidedly functional-typological perspective on the morphology and syntax of the Uralic languages. I also wish to express my gratitude to the pre-examiners, professor Ole Henrik Magga and associate professor Nils Øivind Helander from the Sámi University College in Guovdageaidnu. Their criticism, suggestions for improve- ments, additions and deletions, as well as words of encouragement were very important in the fi nal stages of my research project. In addition to my offi cial supervisors and teachers during the years, I have also been fortunate in having a large number of colleagues and friends in those universities and departments in which I have worked, beginning with the School of Finnish and General Linguistics (University of Turku) on to the Giellagas In- stitute for Saami Studies (University of Oulu), the home institution of the present study, and ultimately the Department of Finno-Ugrian Studies (University of Helsinki) where the fi nishing touches to my study were completed. Even though it seems impossible to present a complete list of all those who have had a posi- tive infl uence on my thoughts and actions, I cannot refrain from emphasizing as a source of work motivation the importance of the relaxed yet purposeful atmos- phere