Marking of causal relationships (Meadow Mari)

CauseWV2 (+ CauseV)

CauseWV2: Causal relationships are marked by an independent word (conjunction) in the reason clause.

CauseV: Causal relationships are marked by a special verb form in the reason clause.

(1)šukomalə-medečvuj-emkoršt-a.
muchsleepPTCP.PASSfromhead1SGhurt3SG
’My head hurts from all the sleeping.’ (Riese et al. 2022: 172)

(2)čerlanə-mə-lankörakoncert-əšəš-nakaje.
fall_illPTCP.PASSDATdue_toconcertILLNEG.PST11PLgo.CNG
’We didn’t go to the concert because we fell ill.’ (Riese et al. 2022: 176)

(3)ahtarijkočakelš-eno-g-əlmolan_manaš_gəntudopeš
AhtariyuncleagreeCVB.CNGNEG3SGbebecausethatvery
šergelij-ən.
expensivewill_bePST2.3SG
’Uncle Ahtariy did not agree because it was very expensive.’ (Arkhangelskiy 2019)

(4)lajk,jeslykanəškečə-lanjal-əšketol-ən-at,potomu_što
likeifrestdayDATvillageILLcomePST22SGbecause
ola-muž-m-eto-kšu.
cityACCseePTCP.PASS2SGNEG3SGarrive.CNG
’Like if you came to spend the weekend in the village because you cannot bear the sight of the city.’ (Arkhangelskiy 2019)

In Meadow Mari, clausal relationships are mainly expressed with the help of the expression molan manaš gən meaning ’because’ (3). Occasionally the Russian borrowing potomu što can also be used with the same meaning (4). Certain postpositions can also be used together with the passive participle form of the verb and – in some cases – a case suffix (mostly dative) (1)–(2).

Author: Bogáta Timár


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