Nominal Structures in Uralic Languages

Principal investigator: Barbara Egedi

The project aims to integrate data analysis, descriptive tasks and theoretical discussion regarding all constructions that have the noun as their core element in a selected group of Uralic languages. Udmurt, Tundra Nenets, Northern and Eastern Khanty dialects are studied in this respect, as well as all the historical stages of Hungarian, with a special focus on earlier records. We aim to introduce a new perspective in Uralic studies, and, at the same time, to continue and complement the syntactic research that was started and successfully carried out at our host Institute, within the framework of a previous project: Languages under the Influence. Uralic syntax changing in an asymmetrical contact situation. The database that has been developed in this project will serve as the empirical basis for our research, but we also rely on other, publicly accessible databases, as well as on co-operation with partner projects.

Major topics include the internal properties on noun phrases in the selected languages (with a special attention to determination, possession and adnominal modification), the structure of nominal sentences, and the parameter of head-finality in general. Each level of investigation comprises descriptive and comparative research, further complemented with theoretical implications.

One of the major products of the project is a new database in which original language data will rigorously be selected according to the goals of our research and arranged into relevant linguistic modules. The new theoretical results will be presented at Hungarian and international conferences and published in a series of papers. (For more details, please browse our website following the menu on the left.)