Moksha edit

Etymology edit

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation edit

IPA(key): /ulʲəms/

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Verb edit

улемс (uľems)

  1. (intransitive) to be
    • O. Je. Poljakov (1993) Russko-mokšanskij razgovornik [Russian-Moksha phrasebook], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN
      Ванды тяка пингть улян тяса
      Vandi ťaka pingť uľan ťasa
      Tomorrow, same time I will be here
      Ульхтяма (уледа) содавикс
      Uľhťama (uľeda) sodaviks
      Let us introduce ourselves ([you pl.] please introduce yourselves) to each other [улемс содавикс = to be familiar]
      Мзяра ши тинь ульхтяда тяса?
      Mźara ši ťiń uľhťada ťasa?
      How many days will you be here?
      Уледе тинь «Мокша» или «Сура» ваймама кудса?
      Uľeďe ťiń «Mokša» iľi «Sura» vajmama kudsa?
      Were you in the guesthouse Mokša or Sura?
  2. (intransitive, with the possessed in possessive and the possessor in genitive) to have
    • O. Je. Poljakov (1993) Russko-mokšanskij razgovornik [Russian-Moksha phrasebook], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN
      Кинь ули мялец корхтамс?
      Kiń uľi mäľec korhtams?
      Who wants (~ has a wish) to speak? (lit. "who is their wish to speak?")

Usage notes edit

The usage of this verb closely follows Russian in many cases. In Russian the usage of the verb "to be" in present is extremely limited, thus Moksha:

  • Тя мазы!Ťa mazi!This is beautiful! (lit. "this beautiful!")
  • Тя аф мазыŤa af maziThis is not beautiful (lit. "this not beautiful")

The future of the verb "to be" is regularly used in Russian, since Moksha present doubles as future, present conjugation can often be taken to mean future.

This verb is usually not used in negative, instead the negative particles аф (af) and аш () and their conjugated forms are used.

Outside of Russian influence Moksha conjugates nominals to express being some entity or some quality, e.g., васенцесян, васенцесят (vaśenćeśan , vaśenćeśat, I'm the first, you're the first).

Conjugation edit

Coordinate terms edit