сембе
Moksha
Etymology
This term corresponds to the pronoun ся (sja, “that”) with an element -mp/-mb which is cognate with Finnish -mpi and Hungarian -bb (comparative suffix). Moksha омба (omba, “other”) (> омбоце (omboce, “second”)) is derived the same way, with the element o- of pronominal origin. These are some of the only vestiges of this conjectured -mb suffix in the Mordvinic languages.
Serebrennikov, however, thinks that analytic/periphrastic formation of comparatives of adjectives was the original Uralic way of doing this. On the question what function this suffix served then, he offers Komi-Zyrian [script needed] (-õb), e.g., [script needed] (rez-õb, “lively, perky”), Wichmann, considering -õb a descendant of *-mb, called such formations nomina augmentativa or intensiva, thus this suffix would have served to intensify possession of some characteristic. In Moksha a different suffix (-нга (-nga) added to the ablative) is used as an intensifier,[1] this is apparently how the comparative preposition сядонга (sjadonga) is derived but it is productive with other nominals as well.
Comparatives are otherwise expressed periphrastically in Moksha, see, for example, сире (sire, “old”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /sʲemʲbʲæ/[2]
Pronoun
сембе • (sembe)
- all
- O. Je. Poljakov (1995) Učimsja govoritʹ po-mokšanski [Let's learn to speak Moksha], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN, page 19
- Азан спасиба сембонкса!
- Azan spasiba sembonksa!
- I thank you for everything!
- V. I. Ščankina (2011) Russko-mokšansko-erzjanskij slovarʹ [Russian-Moksha-Erzya Dictionary], Saransk, →ISBN
- сивомс сембонь
- sivoms sembonʹ
- to eat up (lit. "to eat of all")
- сембонь, марнек (совсем)
- sembonʹ, marnek (sovsem)
- entirely, entirely (entirely [in Russian])
- аф сембонди содама
- af sembondi sodama
- hidden, secret (lit. "not knowledge to everyone")
- сембоса
- sembosa
- all around, in entirety
- так или иначе — сембе сяка
- tak ili inače — sembe sjaka
- either way ~ all the same [in Russian] — either way ~ all the same
- O. Je. Poljakov (1995) Učimsja govoritʹ po-mokšanski [Let's learn to speak Moksha], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN, page 19
Declension
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | сембе (sembe) | сембот (sembot) |
| genitive | сембонь (sembonʹ) | — |
| dative | сембонди (sembondi) | — |
| ablative | сембода (semboda) | — |
| inessive | сембоса (sembosa) | — |
| elative | сембоста (sembosta) | — |
| illative | сембос (sembos) | — |
| prolative | сембова (sembova) | — |
| comparative | сембошка (semboška) | — |
| translative | сембокс (semboks) | — |
| abessive | сембофтома (semboftoma) | — |
| causative | сембонкса (sembonksa) | — |
Derived terms
- сембода (semboda)
- сембе сяка (sembe sjaka)
- сембонь (sembonʹ)
- сембоса (sembosa)
References
- Serebrennikov, B. A. (1967) Istoričeskaja morfologija mordovskix jazykov [Historical morphology of the Mordvinic languages] (in Russian), Moskva, page 73
- śeḿb́ä in https://web.archive.org/web/20161110151523/http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/~rueter/Paasonen/ORIGINALS/mw_styles_s%CC%81_.shtml