Postposition деер in the Kalmyk Language: Spatial Semantics

Introduction. The article examines spatial uses of the postposition деер in the Kalmyk language. The semantic system of postpositions that form postpositional constructions comprises a complex area of various relations. A remarkable place in the Mongolic languages is occupied by spatial meanings of postpositions, the postposition деер being a most common and productive one therein. Goals. The research aims to describe spatial meanings of the postposition деер in the Kalmyk language. Materials. The work analyzes data selected from various dictionaries, literary and journalistic texts included in the National Corpus of the Kalmyk Language, Kalmyk National Corpus, and the Kalmyk Digital Library. Results. This postposition is mentioned in all dictionaries of Mongolic languages and is a most common and productive lexical unit. It expresses a wide variety of relations resulting from its syntactic ties: spatial, temporal, comitative, target, and quantitative-restrictive values. Along with concrete, real relations this postposition in various speech situations acquires additional, sometimes very abstract meanings based its core seme. The spatial meanings of the postposition деер in the Kalmyk language are considered in detail. In addition to its main meaning — location or movement on the surface — this postposition indicates movement or performing an action over the surface of an object without reaching contact, in close vicinity, near a landmark, and also shows the direction of action. This postposition can express ‘event space’. Conclusions. The analysis of spatial relations expressed by the postposition деер shows a variety of transmitted meanings in various speech situations, as well as features of its use in the Kalmyk language.

1. Sources

2. Kalmyk Digital Library. Available at: http://halmglib.org/ (accessed: August 25, 2020). (In Kalm.)

3. Kalmyk National Corpus. Available at: http://web-corpora.net / (accessed: August 25, 2020). (In Kalm.)

4. Kozin S. A. The Secret History of the Mongols: Mongolian Chronicle of 1240 Titled Mongγol-un niγuča tobčiγan. Yuáncháo bìshǐ. Moscow, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1941. 620 p. (In Russ.)

5. National Corpus of the Kalmyk Language. Available at: http://kalmcorpora.ru/ (accessed: August 25, 2020). (In Kalm.)

6. Vietze H.-P., Lubsang G. Altan Tobči. Text und Index. Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, 1992. 278 p. (In Eng.)

7. References

8. Badmaev B. V. Auxiliary parts of speech in modern Kalmyk: postpositions. In: Tenishev E. R. (ed.) Issues of Kalmyk Theoretical Grammar. Collected Scholarly Articles. Vol. 1. Moscow, Elista: Kalmyk State University, 2002. Pp. 90–112. (In Russ.)

9. Kharchevnikova R. P. Investigating the category of case in modern Kalmyk: functional aspect. In: Kharchevnikova R. P., Esenova T. S., Badmaev B. V. (eds.) Issues of Kalmyk Theoretical Grammar. Collected Scholarly Articles. Vol. 2. Moscow, Elista: Kalmyk State University, 2006. Pp. 45–65. (In Russ.)

10. Lidzhieva L. A. Kalmyk Postpositions: A Comparative Historical Perspective. Elista: Kalmyk State University, 2017. 143 p. (In Russ.)

11. Muniev B. D. (ed.) Kalmyk-Russian Dictionary. Moscow: Russkiy Yazyk, 1977. 768 p. (In Kalm. and Russ.)

12. Pozdneev A. M. Kalmyk-Russian Dictionary. St. Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1911. 306 p. (In Kalm. and Russ.)

13. Pyurbeev G. Ts. Comparative Historical Studies of Mongolic Grammars: Syntax of Word Combinations. Moscow: Nauka, 1993. 304 p. (In Russ.)

14. Luvsandendev A., Pyurbeev G. Ts. (eds.) Unabridged Academic Mongolian-Russian Dictionary. In 4 vols. Vol. 2. Moscow: Academia, 2001. 536 p. (In Mong. and Russ.)

15. Ramstedt G. J. Kalmückisches Wörterbuch (A Dictionary of Kalmyk). Helsinki: Finno-Ugric Sociaety, 1935. XXX + 560 p. (In Kalm. and Germ.)

16. Sanzheev G. D. Comparative Grammar of Mongolic Languages. Vol. 1. Moscow: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1953. 241 p. (In Russ.)

17. Sanzheev G. D., Orlovskaya M. N., Shevernina Z. V. Etymological Dictionary of Mongolic Languages. In 3 vols. Vol. I: A – E. G. Sanzheev et al. (eds.). Moscow: Institute of Oriental Studies (RAS), 2015. 224 p. (In Mong. and Russ.)

18. Seliverstova O. N. Predicates of ‘spatial locations’. In: Seliverstova O. N. Sematic Types of Predicates. Moscow: Nauka, 1982. Pp. 146–151. (In Russ.)

19. Seliverstova O. N. Semantic structure of the preposition на. In: Paiar D., Seliverstova O. N. (eds.) Studies in Semantics of Prepositions. Moscow: Russkie Slovari, 2000. Pp. 189–242. (In Russ.)

20. Shagdarov L. D., Cheremisov K. M. Buryat-Russian Dictionary. In 2 vols. Vol. 1. Ulan-Ude: Respublikanskaya Tipografiya, 2010. 636 p. (In Bur. and Russ.)

21. Shoyzhonova D. B. Postpositions and Postpositional Lexemes in Modern Buryat. Cand.Sc. (philology) thesis abstract. Ulan-Ude, 2007. 29 p. (In Russ.)

22. Trofimova S. M. Mongolic Declensional-Postpositional Constructs and Their Russian Equivalents. Novosibirsk: Nauka, 1989. 95 p. (In Russ.)

23. Ubushieva B. E. Vocabulary of Kalmyk Folk Songs: A Cognitive-Semantic Aspect. Cand.Sc. (philology) thesis abstract. Elista, 2013. 27 p. (In Russ.)