SDÁ 1/2018: Ritva Nystad

Mo mánát oččodit biehttaleami? Giellaoččodeami álgogeahčastat

Ritva Nystad (UiT Norgga árktalaš universitehta)

Viečča artihkkala: Mo mánát oččodit biehttaleami? Giellaoččodeami álgogeahčastat (pdf).

Giela oččodeapmi lea unnán dutkojuvvon fáddá sámegielas. Artihkal gieđahallá davvisámegiela biehttaleami oččodeami vuollel skuvlaahkásaš mánáid gielas. Davvisámegiela biehttalanvearba lea veahkkevearba. Eará gielaid mánáidgiela dutkamušat čájehit ahte veahkkevearbbaid oččodeapmi sáhttá leat hástalus unna mánážiidda. Biehttalanvearba lea erenomáš eará vearbbaid ja veahkkevearbbaid ektui go das ilbmá persovdna ja lohku, muhto áigi ja modus eai boađe ovdan biehttalanvearbbas. DASAGO-prošeavtta mánáidgiela teakstačoakkáldaga vuođul čájehan makkár ovdamearkkaid lean gávdnan davvisámegielat mánáid gielas. Ovdamearkkaid lean válljen čoakkáldaga nuoramus máná Bikká (2;0.27) gielas ja boarrásamos máná Nigá (3;4.13) gielas. Álgogeahčastat mánáid giellamateriálii čájeha ahte guktot mánát leaba oččodišgoahtán biehttalancealkagiid. Dán artihkkalis lean hábmen golbma hypotesa dan birra mo davvisámegielat mánát oččodit biehttalancealkagiid: 1. Biehttalanvearba lea vuosttaš veahkkevearba, mii davvisámegielat mánáid gillii ilbmá. 2. Biehttalanvearbba indikatiivva ovttaidlogu goalmmát persovnna hápmi ii doaibmá vuolggahápmin mánáid gielas. 3. Davvisámegiela oččodeaddji mánáidgielas sáhttá leat muddu, mas mánát guđđet biehttalanvearbba jietnatkeahttá.

Fáddásánit: mánáidgiella, davvisámegiella, giellaoččodeapmi, biehttaleapmi, syntáksa

How do North Saami children acquire negation? A preliminary appraisal of language acquisition

The acquisition of language has, hitherto, received relatively little attention in the field of Saami language research. This paper deals with the acquisition of negation in the North Saami language in children of pre-school age. The negation verb in North Saami is an auxiliary verb. Studies of child language in other languages show that the acquisition of auxiliaries can prove problematic for small children. The negation verb differs from other verbs and auxiliary verbs, in that it shows agreement in person and number, but has no indicator of tense or mood.

Using the DASAGO-corpus, I present examples on negation from the longitudinal language material of two pre-school North Saami acquiring children, Biggá (2;0.27) and Nigá (3;4.13).

A preliminary appraisal of the material reveals that both children have begun to acquire negative sentences. As part of the conclusion of this paper, I put forward three hypothesese to explain how North Saami speaking children acquire standard negative construction of the language: 1. The negation verb is the first auxilliary that appears in North Saami speaking child language, 2. The third person singular indicative form of the negation verb, ii, functions as a default form in child language, 3. There might be a stage in North Saami children’s language acquisition in which the negation verb is omitted.

Keywords: North Saami, child language, acquisition, negation, syntax, auxiliaries