How to be definite in Northern Saami
Posted: 2016-08-28, 12:43
Some time ago I posted this thread in the Estonian forum and got some useful feedback about how one expresses definiteness.
I'm now checking out how Northern Saami does it. Based on what I know so far, one can signal definiteness in Estonian and Finnish using word order (e.g. Finnish Tietokone on pöydällä vs. Pöydällä on tietokone), a different case (e.g. Estonian Ostsin raamatud vs. Ostsin raamatuid) or a demonstrative pronoun (e.g. Estonian Kaks last mängivad pargis vs. Need kaks last mängivad pargis).
I've been scouring the summary on Oahpa! on the subject but can't piece much together apart from noting that Northern Saami can use demonstrative or indefinite pronouns to mark definiteness or lack thereof respectively.
How is (in)definiteness expressed in Northern Saami? Can one signal it by also changing word order in a similar way as in Estonian or Finnish existential sentences?
I'm now checking out how Northern Saami does it. Based on what I know so far, one can signal definiteness in Estonian and Finnish using word order (e.g. Finnish Tietokone on pöydällä vs. Pöydällä on tietokone), a different case (e.g. Estonian Ostsin raamatud vs. Ostsin raamatuid) or a demonstrative pronoun (e.g. Estonian Kaks last mängivad pargis vs. Need kaks last mängivad pargis).
I've been scouring the summary on Oahpa! on the subject but can't piece much together apart from noting that Northern Saami can use demonstrative or indefinite pronouns to mark definiteness or lack thereof respectively.
How is (in)definiteness expressed in Northern Saami? Can one signal it by also changing word order in a similar way as in Estonian or Finnish existential sentences?