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A Grammar of Hokkaido Ainu

Knowledge base · Part XII — The Simple Clause and Nonverbal Predication

97. Existential and Locational Clauses (an / oka)

How does Hokkaido Ainu form existential and locational clauses, including number suppletion and the negative existential isam?

北海道アイヌ語は、数の補充と否定存在 isam を含めて、存在・位置節をどのように形成するか？

The existential/locational predicates an (SG) and oka (PL), their number suppletion, presentational use, and the isam negative.

candidate topic from the first edition topic:clause/existential-locational-an-oka read this topic as text

9claims
34statements
22sources
7examples
9sections
48first-edition sentences

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Forms mentioned

an 15oka 6isam 4kor 4okay 3ne 2=an 2or 2wa isam 2kor wa an 2mean 2ruwe ne 2paykar an 1kunneywa an 1N or ta 1N ta 1*Tokiyo anakne poro cise poronno an 1Tokiyo ot ta anakne poro cise poronno an 1*A B an 1A B or ta an 1un 1A B un 1or ta 1o 1ta 1pe 1p 1okay pe 1*oka pe 1sinen ne oka=an 1sinen ne 1oka(y) 1e=isam 1somo 1sak 1tamasay ka sak 1V wa an 1V kor an 1V kane an 1V hine an 1

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·

Semantics and clause structure 3 claims ·8 sentences

How do the existential predicates an (sg) and oka (pl) express existence and location for both animate and inanimate entities?

  1. The equative construction equivalent can take an 'exist' (the antonym of isam 'not exist') as its predicate.
    同等比較構文相当表現は、isam「存在しない」の反意語であるan「存在する」を述語として取ることができる。
    existence ainu exists anisam
    asserts bugaeva2015
  2. The same verbs of existence and non-existence ('an [SG], 'okay [PL], 'isam) are used whether the existing entity is human or non-human.
    存在・非存在を表す動詞（'an〔単〕、'okay〔複〕、'isam）は、存在の主体が人間でもモノでも同じ動詞を使う。
    distribution sakhalin generic 'an'okay'isam
    asserts murasaki2025
  3. The existential verb an and the copula ne can both express a static state and a change of state.
    存在動詞anおよびコピュラneは、静的な状態と状態変化の双方を表すことができる。
    form-function ainu all anne
    asserts nakagawa2022pos

Strict intransitivity and the locational frame 2 claims ·7 sentences· 2 examples

How are existential clauses strictly intransitive, and how is location expressed as an oblique?

  1. Locative 'be/exist' is expressed by the intransitive locative copula an/oka 'exist, appear (SG/PL)'.
    存在・所在の「ある／いる」は、自動詞である特殊な所在係辞 an/oka「存在する、現れる（単数／複数）」によって表される。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest all anoka
    asserts bugaeva2012
  2. There are three ways to express the location of existence: using adverbs such as teeta 'here', taata 'there', and nahta 'where'; attaching the postposition 'ohta to place names; or attaching the locative suffix -ta to positional nouns.
    存在の場所を表すには、teeta、taata、nahta などの副詞を使う方法、場所名詞に後置詞 'ohta をつける方法、位置名詞に場所格語尾 -ta をつけて用いる方法の3つがある。
    form-function sakhalin generic teetataatanahta'ohta-ta
    asserts murasaki2025
poro cise an hine
big house exist CONJ
‘There was a big house, and —’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawagami Matsuko, 'uwepeker 民話11', AA研アイヌ語資料 [aa-irc/013#85]
orwano ku=cise or ta ku=an kor
then 1SG.POSS=house place LOC 1SG.S=exist while
‘Then, while I was in my house, —’
nakagawa2024:166 ISH Nakagawa ex. 104, after Sunazawa Kura 1983: 75

Number suppletion: an (sg) and oka / okay (pl) 3 claims ·10 sentences· 3 examples

How does number suppletion work for the existential verb between singular an and plural oka?

  1. 'an is the singular existential verb meaning "to exist / to be".
    'an は単数主語をとる存在動詞（「ある」「いる」）である。
    form-function sakhalin 'an
    asserts murasaki2025
  2. 'okay is the plural existential verb meaning "to exist / to be".
    'okay は複数主語をとる存在動詞（「ある」「いる」）である。
    form-function sakhalin 'okay
    asserts murasaki2025
  3. In the Saru and Chitose dialects, the plural form of the existence verb okay appears without final -y as oka.
    沙流および千歳方言では、存在動詞の複数形 okay は末尾の -y が脱落した形 oka として現れる。
    variation hokkaido/southwest/saruhokkaido/chitose generic okáyoká
    asserts nakagawafukazawa2022
mippoho tan kotan ta an
grandchild this village LOC exist
‘My grandchild lives in this village.’
constructed
mippoutari tan kotan ta oka
grandchildren this village LOC exist.PL
‘My grandchildren live in this village.’
constructed
a=kor kotan ta oar sinen ne oka=an wa
4.A=have village LOC truly one COP exist.PL=4.S CONJ
‘I was living all alone in my village, and —’
constructed SHI

The negative existential isam 5 sentences· 2 examples

How is the negative existential isam used, and does it take person affixes like an?

mak ne hine nea cawan isam isam
how COP CONJ that bowl not.exist not.exist
‘Where has that bowl gone? Gone?’
nakagawa2024:410 SAR Nakagawa ex. 849
sinen ka isam ruwe ne
one even not.exist track-POSS COP
‘There was not even one.’
ainukoraci1991 SAR Kanzaki Masayoshi, 'Nibutani kotan ta cip-sanke an', Ainu Times [ainu-times/003/0#21]

Grammaticalized uses of an 1 claims ·1 sentences

What grammaticalized constructions does the existential verb an participate in?

  1. The existential verb an can express the arrival of a time period or change to existence when used with temporal nouns.
    存在動詞 an は時を表す名詞と共に用いられると、その時が到来すること（存在への変化）を表すことができる。
    form-function ainu anpaykar an
    asserts nakagawa2024, sato2008

Existential aspect auxiliaries 5 sentences

How does the existential verb an combine with conjunctive particles to form aspectual periphrases?

Ambient predicates: mean = me + an 4 sentences

How are ambient weather predicates formed by combining a noun with the existential an, as in mean 'it is cold'?

The ne / an mood alternation in clause-final evidential frames 4 sentences

How do the copula ne and existential an alternate in sentence-final evidential constructions for declaratives and content questions?

Predicative possession: BE-type an and isam 4 sentences

How are possessive clauses formed with the existential an and negative isam, especially for inalienable possession?