The Livonian jussive in the context of the Central Baltic area
Date
2023-12-06
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Abstract
Eesti ja liivi keeltel on palju ühist, üks nendest sarnastustest on eraldi vorm, mida kasutatakse kaudsete käskude, nõuete jms väljendamiseks: jussiiv, ehk möönev kõneviis. Kuigi esimesest pilgust võib tunduda, et eesti ning liivi möönev kõneviis on peaaegu identset, nt „nǟgõ“ on eesti keeles „nähku“, siiski eesti ja liivi jussiivil on nii mõnigi erinevus. Esiteks liivi möönev kõneviis muutub arvus, nt „nǟgõ“ on ainsuse vorm, mida kasutatakse kõikide ainsuse isikutega ja „nǟgõd“ on mitmuse vorm, mida kasutatakse kõikide mitmuse isikutega. Lisaks sellele liivi jussiivi kasutatakse peaaegu alati koos partikliga „laz“, mis eesti keeles oleks „las“, näiteks öeldakse liivi keeles „laz ma nǟgõ“ ehk „las ma näen“ või „mina nähku“. Samuti erinevalt eesti keelest kasutatakse liivi jussiivi täissihitist genitiivis, mitte nominatiivis.
Liivi jussiiv erineb eesti jussiivist mitte ainult morfoloogiliselt ja süntaktiliselt vaid ka semantiliselt. Nimelt edastatakse liivi keeles jussiivi abil mitte ainult käske, nõudmisi, õhutusi, lubasid, soove, mööndust, vaid ka otstarvet ning küsimusi. Näiteks saab liivi keeles öelda: „Se vȯzā um nei ūnd, perīnai um tōnd immer kierõ, laz tuoi pūoļ ka ūg“, mida eesti keeles öeldaks niiviisi: „See liha on niiviisi praadinud ja perenaine on tahtnud ümber keerata, et teine pool ka praeks“. Liivi keeles sidesõna „et“ asemel saab kasutada jussiivi partikliga „laz“. Üllatav on see, et liivi keele kasutus sarnaneb pigem läti keele kasutuse kui eesti keele kasutusega.
Liivi keele jussiiv on eriline ka sellepärast, et kõiki liivi jussiivi isiku vorme kasutatakse kõikides selle funktsioonides. Ehk saab liivi jussiivig väljendada nii käsku, kui ka otstarvet ja küsimust nii 1., 2. kui ka 3. isikus. Nii eesti, kui ka maailma keeltes oleks see harjumatu või lausa võimatu. See teeb liivi keele jussiivi ühelt poolt huvitavaks, aga teiselt poolt unikaalseks.
Every language globally possesses methods for conveying information, posing questions, or issuing commands. These communications often utilise specific sentence structures and moods. Declarative clauses and the indicative mood are commonly employed for sharing information, while imperative clauses and the imperative mood are utilised for giving commands. Some languages, like English, use the imperative mood exclusively for addressing the listener and employ alternative methods when commanding someone else (e.g., “go!” vs. “let him go!”). Conversely, languages such as Finnish use the same imperative paradigm for both the listener and others. Livonian, an endangered South Finnic language native to modern Latvia, has developed a distinct imperative paradigm known as the “jussive.” This paradigm conveys indirect commands, where there is no direct interaction between the commander and the addressee. Such commands are reported or directed towards a third party not involved in the conversation. Remarkably, the Livonian jussive serves not only to issue commands or requests but also to express purpose and introduce questions, similar to the English construction "what shall I do?" In Livonian, this would be phrased using the jussive: “mis laz ma tīeg?” It is intriguing to note that while many linguists posit that 3rd person imperative forms typically express wishes or similar sentiments, the Livonian jussive defies this trend by being highly effective in conveying commands through its 3rd person forms. This uniqueness of the Livonian jussive holds significant insights into the interactions between Livonian and Latvian speakers, and potentially broader connections between Finnic and Baltic languages. Furthermore, the Livonian jussive sheds light on various linguistic enigmas that have yet to be unravelled by scholars.
Every language globally possesses methods for conveying information, posing questions, or issuing commands. These communications often utilise specific sentence structures and moods. Declarative clauses and the indicative mood are commonly employed for sharing information, while imperative clauses and the imperative mood are utilised for giving commands. Some languages, like English, use the imperative mood exclusively for addressing the listener and employ alternative methods when commanding someone else (e.g., “go!” vs. “let him go!”). Conversely, languages such as Finnish use the same imperative paradigm for both the listener and others. Livonian, an endangered South Finnic language native to modern Latvia, has developed a distinct imperative paradigm known as the “jussive.” This paradigm conveys indirect commands, where there is no direct interaction between the commander and the addressee. Such commands are reported or directed towards a third party not involved in the conversation. Remarkably, the Livonian jussive serves not only to issue commands or requests but also to express purpose and introduce questions, similar to the English construction "what shall I do?" In Livonian, this would be phrased using the jussive: “mis laz ma tīeg?” It is intriguing to note that while many linguists posit that 3rd person imperative forms typically express wishes or similar sentiments, the Livonian jussive defies this trend by being highly effective in conveying commands through its 3rd person forms. This uniqueness of the Livonian jussive holds significant insights into the interactions between Livonian and Latvian speakers, and potentially broader connections between Finnic and Baltic languages. Furthermore, the Livonian jussive sheds light on various linguistic enigmas that have yet to be unravelled by scholars.
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Keywords
Livonian language, imperative mood, morphosyntax, functional linguistics, language contacts, Baltic languages, Latvian language