Njealji davvisámi adposišuvnna geavahus
Lene Antonsen (Romssa universitehta)
Laura Janda (Romssa universitehta)
Biret Ánne Bals Baal (Romssa universitehta)
Viečča artihkkala dás (pdf).
Artihkkalis mii leat guorahallan njeallje davvisámegiela adposišuvnna maid sáhttá geavahit sihke preposišuvdnan ja postposišuvdnan, nu gohčoduvvon ambiposišuvdnan: miehtá, čađa, rastá ja maŋŋel. Mii ovddidit golbma hypotesa suopmaniid, giellatypologiija ja mearkkašumi ektui. Gávdnan dihte ambiposišuvnnaid juohkáseami pre- ja postposišuvdnan, de leat analyseren cealkagiid sihke aviisa- ja čáppagirjjálašvuođateakstačoakkáldagas. Bohtosat čájehit ahte giellageavaheddjiin Suoma bealde ja nuppe dáfus Norgga ja Ruoŧa bealde lea goabbatlágan juohkáseapmi ambiposišuvnnaid geavaheamis. Leat maid erohusat das mo mearkkašumit juohkásit posišuvnna ektui, ja orru leamen giellatypologalaš korrelašuvdna ambiposišuvnnaid loguid ja daid mohkkás geavahusa gaskkas.
The use of four North Saami adpositions
We present a study of four North Saami adpositions that can be used as both postpositions and prepositions and thus be termed “ambipositions”: miehtá ‘over, throughout’, čađa ‘through’, rastá ‘across, over’, maŋŋel ‘after’. While many languages have ambipositions, in most languages they are very marginal. However, Finnish, Estonian and North Saami have an exceptionally large number of ambipositions, many with high frequency. We advance three hypotheses concerning 1) dialectal differences in use of ambipositions in North Saami, 2) differences between their use as prepositions and postpositions, and 3) a possible typological correlation between the frequency of ambipositions and the extent to which position is used to differentiate meaning, with North Saami at the high end of this scale. Our study examines two databases representing the use of ambipositions in newspapers and in literature. We use the radial category profiling method to investigate similarities and differences in the distribution of meanings across prepositional and postpositional use of four adpositions. We find support for all three hypotheses. The results of this research shed light on the use of North Saami adpositions in terms of their dialectal distribution and meaning. In addition, we gain a typological perspective on North Saami adpositions.