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A Grammar of Hokkaido Ainu

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

98. Predicative Possession: kor, Existential Possession, and isam

How does the language express predicative possession ('X has Y') at the clause level?

その言語は節レベルで所有述語（「XがYを持つ」）をどのように表現するか？

Clause-level 'have/belong' predication via transitive kor, existential-based possession, and negative isam, plus the noun-level affiliative-vs-kor choice for alienable nouns; placed on Stassen's predicative-possession typology and interfaced with the nominal affiliative system (Part VII).

candidate topic from the first edition topic:clause/predicative-possession-clauses read this topic as text

3claims
10statements
12sources
7examples
8sections
50first-edition sentences

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Forms mentioned

kor 21an 7okay 4isam 3kor wa an 2ku=kor cise 2sak 2kasa ku=kor 1a=yup-i an 1ku= 1e= 1ci= 1a=kor kamuy 1… sekor a=ye re kampisos an 1-i 1-he 1-ke 1oka 1wa 1V wa an 1=an 1a=kohon-kor wa an=an 1somo kor 1somo 1ka somo ne 1ci=oro okay kotan 1ci=okay cas 1

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A claim is one proposition; under it stand the statements of each source, with the stance that source takes. Claims are grouped by a model from the extracted statements and carry that status until reviewed.

Sections

·

Overview 8 sentences

What verb-based strategies does the language use for predicative possession?

The HAVE-construction: transitive kor 1 claims ·6 sentences· 1 examples

How does the transitive verb 'kor' encode the possessor and possessed in a possessive clause?

  1. The verb kor 'to have' is used in expressions meaning 'to have a daughter' or 'to have a son'.
    動詞 kor は「娘がいる、息子がいる」という表現でも用いられる。
    form-function ainu universal kor
    asserts sato2008
kasa ku=kor
umbrella 1SG.A=have
‘I have an umbrella.’
refsing1986:160–161 SHI

Person marking on predicative kor 1 claims ·5 sentences

What person-marking pattern does the transitive verb 'kor' take for the possessor and the possessed noun?

  1. In forms like a-wen-kor sapo, an attributive verb can be analyzed as incorporated into the attributive verb kor.
    a-wen-kor sapo のような形式において、連体修飾動詞が別の連体修飾動詞 kor に抱合されていると分析できる。
    analysis ainu existential a-wen-kor sapokor
    proposes shibatani1990

The animacy restriction on kor 2 sentences

Is there an animacy restriction on the possessor of the verb 'kor'?

BE-type: existential possession with affiliative nouns 1 claims ·7 sentences· 3 examples

How does the language express possession using existential constructions with affiliative nouns?

  1. Possession other than inalienable possession may be expressed by constructions using the existential verb an (singular) or oka (plural).
    譲渡不可能所有以外の所有は、存在動詞 an（単数）または oka（複数）を用いた構文によって表すことができる。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai may anoka
    asserts refsing1986
a=yup-i an
4.POSS=elder.brother-POSS exist
‘One has an elder brother.’
huber2025:251–253 HK
a=sa-ha an
4.POSS=younger.sister-POSS exist
‘One has a younger sister.’
huber2025:251–253 HK
a=po-ho ka an
4.POSS=child-POSS even exist
‘One even has a son / child.’
huber2025:251–253 HK

Stative possession: kor wa an 5 sentences· 1 examples

How does the language express stative or resultant possession using 'kor wa an'?

ramat-kor wa an
soul-have CONJ exist
‘having gained a soul; being in possession of a soul’
ilcaa1976 SAR 川上まつ子, AA研アイヌ語資料 民話21 [aa-irc/021#530]

Negation of possession 8 sentences· 2 examples

How does the language negate possessive clauses?

tamasay ka sak
necklace even lack
‘(one) has no necklace even’
nakagawa2024:323 HK
ona sak pe
father lack NMLZ
‘one who has no father’
bugaeva2012:496 HK

Division of labour and diachrony 9 sentences

What factors determine the choice between the HAVE-type and BE-type possession strategies?