/Õ/ HÄÄLDUSE VARIEERUMINE

Author(s): Pire Teras / Language(s): Estonian / Issue: 63/2017

There are 9 vowels in Estonian: /i, ü, u, e, ö, õ, o, ä, a/. Unlike other vowels the classification of the vowel /õ/ has been problematic. In the phonetic transcriptions /õ/ has been transcribed as [ɤ] or [ɯ] (IPA) or [e̮] (Finno-Ugric transcription). What are the possible reasons for this variance? This paper gives an overview of the results of experimental phonetic research focusing on the quality of /õ/: articulation, acoustics and perception. All these results, as well as phonetic transcriptions of Estonian dialects, point to variation in the quality of /õ/. In the articulation of different speakers the configuration of the body of the tongue and its height are similar to the close back vowel /u/ or to the close-mid back vowel /o/, but /õ/ is unrounded ([ɯ] or [ɤ]). In the acoustic analyses /õ/ has rather been compared to the close-mid vowels than close vowels, admitting that /õ/ can be closer than other close-mid vowels. Perception tests have shown that /õ/ occupies the space corresponding to both the close-mid and close vowels. The pronunciation of /õ/ can also vary due to the speaker’s regional background. Phonologically, /õ/ has been classified as an unrounded close-mid central or back vowel or unrounded close back vowel. Considering the phonetic variation of /õ/, a compromise in the classification of /õ/ can be that it is an unrounded non-open back vowel.

Aplikácia výsledkov funkčnej kognitívnej lingvopedagogiky v menšinových podmienkach

Author(s): Gábor Tolcsvai Nagy / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 3/2020

The paper gives an overview of the general and special factors of L2 learning of Hungarian minorities across the borders of Hungary, that is, in Slovakia. Indigenous minorities like Hungarians in Slovakia are strongly interested in fluent state language knowledge. Still, the state school system failed to work out and implement a suitable language pedagogy for linguistic minorities, since the state curriculum comprised only one type of Slovak lessons, the one for pupils speaking Slovak as their mother tongue. This curriculum does not consider the special needs for bilingual pupils (on different levels of bilingualism) and those growing up in pure minority environment. The paper introduces functional cognitive linguistics as a usage-based theory and descriptive activity that gives new methods for L2 learning and teaching, building on the vernacular linguistic and conceptual knowledge of the pupils, focusing on the meaning – form pairs of linguistic expressions both in the vernacular and the second (state) language. In the second part, certain grammatical units are discussed as the topic of functional language pedagogy: lexical units and their grammatical adjustment to the syntactic and semantic structure of the sentence, or metaphor in use. In the third part, the topics of the previous section are treated in a comparative Hungarian – Slovak style, as examples of L2 teaching methodology.

Arto Moisio, Oleg Sergejev, Nadežda Krasnova, Jorma Luu­tonen, Marin kirjakielten termistön kehitys 1920- ja 1930-luvulla. Elollista luontoa tutkivat tieteet

Author(s): V. G. Gavrilova / Language(s): Russian / Issue: 1/2022

Review on: Arto Moisio, Oleg Sergejev, Nadežda Krasnova, Jorma Luu­tonen, Marin kirjakielten termistön kehitys 1920- ja 1930-luvulla. Elollista luontoa tutkivat tieteet, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, 2020

Arvsõnadest ja loendamisest eesti keeles

Author(s): Jüri Viikberg / Language(s): Estonian / Issue: 5/2021

Modern Estonian numerals demonstrate the typical Finno-Ugric decimal system: the first ten digits are referred to by simple words, after ten come teen numerals, and from 20 on the count goes by tens followed by simple numbers as (and if) necessary (e.g. twenty-one, thirty-three, eighty-eight etc.). However, this has not always been the case. According to the old Finnic tradition, numbers from eleven to nineteen were counted as ones of the second ten, numbers from 21 to 29 as numbers of the third ten, from 31 to 39 as numbers of the fourth ten, etc. Nowadays the traditional system has only survived for the Finnic teens (11–19), not for greater numbers. The change can be associated with the advent of the Lutheran Reformation and the introduction of Arabic numbers due to which the Finnic system (one of the third ten) was gradually replaced by the Indo-European pattern (twenty-one). In the article, the transition from the old counting system to the new one is described on examples from grammars, calendars and textbooks of the period from 1637–1884, adding abundant data from Estonian dialects as well as from other Finnic languages. As can be inferred from Estonian grammars, it was in the 17th–18th centuries that the transition occurred in literary Estonian. As for popular language (dialects), the old traditional way of counting was practised well into the 20th century, in particular when counting fish, threads, or years of life. Yet, sooner or later the Indo-European way of counting has been accepted in use not only in Estonian but also in all other Finnic languages.

Az additív szemlélet érvényesülése az újabb anyanyelvi tankönyvekben

Author(s): Ildiko Csaszi Nagy / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2018

The stigmatization of dialects is one of the main reasons for their disappearance. Under minority circumstances there are at least two high prestige varieties as opposed to the dialect of native speakers. Thus the stigmatization of the dialect speech leads to a weakened sense of comfort in the use of the mother tongue, resulting in the erosion of the native dialect at a rapid pace. Traditionally the teaching of Hungarian in the Hungarian educational system is characterized by the substractive approach, which means that the standard language variety replaces the vernacular variety. By applying the additive approach, the original dialect of the student is not damaged, the standard variety is added to it: thus the language repertoire of the child is broadened. The study is analyze how the substractive and the additive approach are reflected in the new textbooks.

Az attitűddeixis műveletei közvetített médiaesemények társas viszonyainak alakításában

Author(s): Ágnes Domonkosi,Tímea H. Tomesz / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 3/2020

The paper aims to explore through a linguistic analysis of online or television broadcasts of awards ceremonies how operations of attitude deixis contribute to the construal of social relations, to the marking of one’s relation to the audience, and to the communication of a media event’s status. The research has focussed on the varied construal of address forms, greetings, introductions and self-introductions. As the analysis demonstrates, the interplay between operations of attitude deixis conveys in a subtle and dynamic way the formality and solemnity of the situation, the broadcast nature of the event, the intimacy of interpersonal relations, and group cohesion within a community of sportspeople as well.

Az időhatározók mondatfunkcióinak vizsgálata Csáth Géza naplóbejegyzéseiben a kommunikatív perspektíva szempontjából

Author(s): Adrienn Károly / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2018

The word order in a sentence is formed depending on the communicative value function of the components, their informative and communicative aspects separate them into more pronounced and less pronounced components. Some 20th century linguistic schools changed their sentence approach concerning the sentence structure and phrases layout. While the traditional grammars still keep in mind the assessment of the sentence from subject-predicate structure view, the communicative aspect texts keep in mind first the sentence components communicative value (dynamism). The theme of study subject is the communicative examination of the use of the modifiers of time and their function in Géza Csáth journal entries. I carried out the journal entries analysis of the modifiers of time in four positions (sentence modifier, topic, focus and predicate modifier) on the base of Katalin É. Kiss sentence model.

Az íz szó és családja

Author(s): Ilona Rajsli / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 2/2015

The study wishes to form complex diachronic view about the meaning development of the word taste: of the evolution of morphological, semantic issues blocked around it, of the methods of phraseologisation, of the meaning change formed this way, of their course of usage. Furthermore, the paper takes into consideration the lingual features deriving from the homonymous character of the word examined, the opportunities of the correlation between homonymy and polysemy. Between the derivatives of the threefold homonymous word taste, we can find several extinct, respectively tarnished meanings as well, certain derivations only occur as concrete inflected elements. Nowadays this triple homonym − both concerning usage and lexicography − is in fading and one of its meanings is confined to the level of dialects. We present the historical formation of the word family, the structural and semantic changes in the context of the literary records, respectively in a dialectal context.

Bácskai vonatkozások Margalits Ede korai frazémagyűjteményében

Author(s): Ilona Rajsli / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 3/2015

Ede Margalits’s Bácskai közmondások és szólásmódok (Proverbs and Idioms from Bácska) was published in Baja in 1877, and this publication was the forerunner of the author’s later monumental volumes of proverbs and idioms. This small, early collection indicates the professional and scholarly attitude of Margalits when focusing on the compilation of phrasemes. In the introduction the author presents the relevant principles of compiling and editing he is guided by, outlining at the same time the vision of a nation-wide collection. Unlike his practice in the later volumes, the idioms follow each other in strict alphabetic order in this early publication, and thus there are no key words in it. In this study, alongside presenting this volume of phrasemes from Bácska, we endeavour to highlight the distinctive local features of the idioms with regional attachment: such as dialectal phenomena, the occurrence of dialectal words, toponyms in idiomatic expressions, the presence of anecdotal phrasemes related to a place and the diversity of ethnic stereotypes. Margalits, just like János Erdélyi, also explains the less familiar phrasemes, and in the cases of the local ones tells of the event (real or alleged) which set off the phraseme, enriching thus with a great number of very valuable – local – anecdotes the local and cultural history of the region.

Bán Aladár finn levelezéséről. Adalékok a magyar–finn kulturális kapcsolatok történetéhez

Author(s): Ildikó Varga P. / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: VII/2020

In my paper I examine the role of Aladár Bán (1871–1961) in the Finnish-Hungarian cultural relations. The study also addresses the reception of the history of relations from the early twentieth century, as it has influenced how Bán’s role has been studied so far. Examining Aladár Bán’s correspondence, the study focuses on correlations that lead to new insights and information regarding Bán’s role in these relations. Compared to Béla Vikár’s work, the study concludes that Bán mostly played a role in the official relations and therefore he is less prominent in the works about the history of the Finnish-Hungarian cultural relations.

Benita Laumane, Zvejasrīku nosaukumi Latvijas piekrastē, Liepāja: Liepājas Universitāte, Kurzemes Humanitārais institūts, 2019

Author(s): Lembit Vaba / Language(s): German / Issue: 3/2020

Review on: Benita Laumane, Zvejasrīku nosaukumi Latvijas piekrastē, Liepāja: Liepājas Universitāte, Kurzemes Humanitārais institūts, 2019

Between Facts and Speech Acts: the Conditional and Condi­tional-Conjunctive in Moksha Mordvin

Author(s): Petar Kehayov / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2020

This paper investigates the semantic functions and the distribution of the Conditional and the Conditional-Conjunctive moods in Moksha ­Mordvin. Based on corpus data from Standard Moksha, I argue that these grammatical moods are not contiguous in semantic space: they rarely occur in hypothetical conditional clauses. The Conditional-Conjunctive is more restricted than the Conditional, both functionally and syntagmatically, as the former is not compatible with directive speech acts in the main clause, it requires that the predicate of the main clause is in the Conjunctive, it resists the occurrence of a correlative apodosis marker in the main clause, and it rarely occurs in postposed or inserted conditional clauses.

Celebrating 35 years and 30 volumes of “Close Comparisons”

Memories of our past and of our dear colleagues, reflections on teaching, learning and understanding languages

Author(s): Raili Pool,Hanna-Ilona Härmävaara,Johanna Laakso,Annekatrin Kaivapalu / Language(s): English / Issue: 30/2020

The series Lähivõrdlusi. Lähivertailuja (‘Close Comparisons’, LV) has again reached a milestone: in 2020, we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the first edited volume with this title, and the 30th LV volume is issued. Over the years, the series has become an important forum for Finno-Ugric applied linguistics. This volume contains reminiscences on the first years of “Close Comparisons”, by emeritus professor Heikki Paunonen and by one of the early activists of this cooperation, Dr. Hannu Remes.

Chronica

Author(s): György Zoltán Józsa,Maria Ladani / Language(s): English,Russian / Issue: 2/2018

1)К 90-летию Михая Петера / To the 90th Anniversary of Mihai Peter 2)Attila Hollós Celebrating His 85th Birthday

Chuvash Historical Phonetics. An areal linguistic study. With an Appendix on the Role of Proto-Mari in the History of Chuvash Vocalism

Author(s): István Zimonyi / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2020

Klára Agyagási. (2019). Chuvash Historical Phonetics. An areal linguistic study. With an Appendix on the Role of Proto-Mari in the History of Chuvash Vocalism. Turcologica 117. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 333 pp.

COMB WARE CULTURE IN LITHUANIA: NEW EVIDENCE FROM ŠVENTOJI 43

Author(s): Giedrė Piličiauskienė,Gytis Piličiauskas,Dalia Kisielienė,Lukas Gaižauskas,Algirdas Kalinauskas / Language(s): English / Issue: 45/2019

Šventoji 43 is one of eight Comb Ware culture sites known in Lithuania at present. The site was excavated in 2013 and 2014 and revealed a homogeneous pottery assemblage, which was classified as Comb Ware and was radiocarbon dated to 3900–3650 cal BC. As a result of this dating, it has been found that Comb Ware is the oldest pottery type to have been produced in coastal Lithuania. In fact, the pottery assemblage of Šventoji 43 also suggests that Comb Ware originates from a distinct phase in the pottery sequence of coastal Lithuania that both predates all other phases from Šventoji pottery bearing sites and has not been previously recognized in other assemblages. Zoo-archaeological analysis has revealed that the site was occupied during the early spring and mostly used for fishing zander and pike in the lagoonal lake and for hunting seals and forest game. The unique character of the flint industry, which combined hard hammer percussion and bipolar knapping that resulted in the production of microliths on irregular blades, suggests that the local Šventoji 43 community had Mesolithic roots. Furthermore, this evidence supports the hypothesis that Comb Ware had reached Lithuania through intense contact between East Baltic hunter-gatherers rather than due to a mass migration of the population from the Northeastern Baltic. The much wider distribution of Finno-Ugric hydronyms, compared to that of Comb Ware sites gives an impression that some other Subneolithic pottery types in addition to Comb Ware might have been produced by Finno-Ugric speaking people.

Covid-19 mõju liivi keele omandamise võimalustele

Author(s): Gunta Kļava / Language(s): Estonian / Issue: 66/2021

This article examines several programmes created by the University of Latvia Livonian Institute promoting Livonian language learning which came about as a result of the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. The value and role of specifically digital solutions increased across society during this period, becoming a standard part of every aspect of daily life.Taking into account the reasons for the present Livonian language situation, it becomes clear that despite the overall seriousness of the circumstances created by the pandemic, there have also been certain positive developments for language learning and endangered language maintenance resulting from this situation. It may be that the pandemic situation prompted a change in perspective – among not only researchers but also society in general – on Livonian language preservation as well as its role and function. This shift confirmed and emphasised to the Livonian community as well as to broader society that Livonian – despite its small number of speakers – deserves the same opportunities available to every language and that these are offered not only by modern technology, but also by linguistic insights into language vitality and language acquisition theory. In this context, the two main Livonian language learning programmes prompted by the pandemic are discussed. These are: (1) the 7 online Livonian language lessons, which originally were developed as an instructional module for general education schools and were the first time in history when the opportunity to study Livonian was included in the school programme in Latvia; and (2) the next step in learning language basics, which grew out of this project – a series of songs written by Livonian authors intended for children and young people.These Livonian language learning and popularisation initiatives – motivated by the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic – are grounded in new approaches and methods of language acquisition as well as other proven techniques for preparing educational materials. These initiatives show that in a difficult situation, a flexible approach and creative solutions can place even a small language on a more equal footing when competing with larger languages.

Critica et Bibliographia

Author(s): Oleg Fedoszov,Marija Mandić,Mladen Pavičič,Péter Milosevits,Siarhiej Zaprudski,Laszlo Yasai / Language(s): English,Russian / Issue: 1/2019

The review of: 1) PÁTROVICS Péter: A lengyel igeaspektus kérdései. Lengyel–magyar strukturális aspektusszótár [Вопросы польского глагольного вида. Польско-венгерский структурно-аспектуальный словарь]. Budapest: Lengyel Kutatóintézet és Múzeum, 2018. 220 p. 2) WITZLACK-MAKAREVICH Kai (Hg.): Kalkierungs- und Entlehnungssprachen in der Slavia: Boris Unbegaun zum 120. Geburtstag. Berlin: Frank & Timme, 2018. 363 S. 3) SZOFRICS Pál: Képek Szentendre – és a szerbség – történetéből [Images from the History of Szentendre and the Serbs]. (Szentendrei füzetek.) Szentendre: Pest Megyei Könyvtár, 2017. 242 p. 4) JUVAN Marko: Hibridni žanri. Študije o križancih izkustva, mišljenja in literature [Hybrid Genres: Studies on Hybrids of Experience, Thought, and Literature]. Ljubljana: Literarno-umetniško društvo Literatura, 2017. 220 p. 5) ПИЛИПЕНКО Г. Языковая и этнокультурная ситуация воеводинских венгров. Взгляд «изнутри» и «извне». Санкт-Петербург: «Нестор-История», 2017. 336 с. 6) ДРОНОВ П. С. Очерки по культурным трансферам во фразеологии. Москва: Институт языкознания РАН, 2018. 102 с.

Deminutiivid idapoolsete läänemeresoome rahvaste animistlikus keelekasutuses

Author(s): Madis Arukask,Eva Saar / Language(s): Estonian / Issue: 66/2021

Diminutives are significantly more used in the languages of the eastern Finnic peoples (Veps, Karelians, Ludians) than others (especially Estonians or Finns). This could be explained by the long-term influence of the Russian language, which is extremely rich in diminutives. However, there are not as many diminutives in Votian or Ingrian, which are no less influenced by Russian. In the analysis of the use of diminutives of both Russian and other languages an anthropocentric perspective dominates. In the linguistic studies, evaluative use of language, courtesy behaviour and expression of emotions have been viewed almost exclusively in terms of human-centred (interpersonal) communication. Our long-term fieldwork has shown that the worldview of the eastern Finnic peoples is still heavily influenced by animistic cognition of nature and corresponding beliefs and linked to related behavioural practices and speech acts. The peoples of northern Eurasia, whose worldview is dominated by animistic ontology, are characterized by relatively restrained, non-emotional self-expression, which has to do with caution about the world of spirits. People do not talk about their feelings and plans; they also avoid giving assessments, making compliments, and praising others. Diminutives, as a phenomenon generally related to assessments and emotions, must have another function here. Based on our experience, we assume that this is related to an animistic worldview, leaning toward caution rather than an overflow of emotion. Diminutives express respect and attentiveness, which are addressed to the non-human world and are not in the service of anthropocentric self-centeredness. They are linked to a survival strategy, but from a different perspective.

-des and -mata converbs in Estonian dialects

Author(s): Helen Plado / Language(s): Estonian / Issue: 60/2014

The article analyses the usage of two Estonian converbs (the prototypical –des converb and its negative counterpart the -mata converb) in Estonian dialects. The data is collected from the morphologically tagged texts of the University of Tartu’s corpus of Estonian dialects. Compared to written texts, converbs in spoken (dialectal) speech are infrequent; also, -mata converbs are rarer than -des converbs. -des converbs are most used in the Western, Coastal and Insular dialects, whereas the -mata converb is more frequent (although still rare) in the Tartu, Võro and Western dialects. In dialects, converbs are used in fewer functions than in Standard Estonian. The -des converb is used most often to indicate manner, but also as a temporal adverbial; the -mata converb conveys mostly the meaning of manner or means (all cases that answer the question how?). -des converbs indicating manner are less frequent in the North-Eastern and Coastal dialects, while in South Estonian dialects (Võro, Seto and Mulgi), there are more manner converbs and fewer temporal converbs. The relatively frequent usage of short adverb-like manner converbs in dialects is also the main difference from the use of converbs in Standard Estonian. However, this is probably not a characteristic of dialects, but rather of spoken language, which tends to favor the usage of shorter and more grammaticalized and lexicalized converbs. In dialects, there are both implicit and explicit subject converbs. Although explicit subject converbs are rather rare and these are used in more or less set phrases (the most used are päikese tõustes ‘when the sun is rising’ and X’i nähes ‘in the presence of X’, in the Western dialect also ‘as X remembers’), in the Coastal dialect, the verb mäletama ‘remember’ can also be used in this construction (this is not possible in Standard Estonian, where only limited transitive verbs can form an explicit subject converb construction). The implicit subject converbs in dialects are similar to the corresponding construction in Standard Estonian.