Erzya language

Template:Short description {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other

File:Erzya Flag.svg

Erzya flag

The Erzya language ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}), also Erzian or historically Arisa, is spoken by approximately 300,000 people in the northern, eastern and north-western parts of the Republic of Mordovia and adjacent regions of Nizhny Novgorod, Chuvashia, Penza, Samara, Saratov, Orenburg, Ulyanovsk, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan in Russia. A diaspora can also be found in Armenia and Estonia, as well as in Kazakhstan and other states of Central Asia. Erzya is currently written using Cyrillic with no modifications to the variant used by the Russian language. In Mordovia, Erzya is co-official with Moksha and Russian.

The language belongs to the Mordvinic branch of the Uralic languages. Erzya is a language that is closely related to Moksha but has distinct phonetics, morphology and vocabulary.

Phonology

Consonants

The following table lists the consonant phonemes of Erzya together with their Cyrillic equivalents.<ref name=Saarinen>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

		Labial	Alveolar		(Palato-) alveolar	Velar
			plain	pal.
Nasal		Template:IPAslink м	Template:IPAslink н	Template:IPAslink нь		Template:IPAslink н
Plosive	voiceless	Template:IPAslink п	Template:IPAslink т	Template:IPAslink ть		Template:IPAslink к
	voiced	Template:IPAslink б	Template:IPAslink д	Template:IPAslink дь		Template:IPAslink г
Affricate			Template:IPAslink ц	Template:IPAslink ць	Template:IPAslink ч
Fricative	voiceless	(Template:IPAslink ф)	Template:IPAslink с	Template:IPAslink сь	Template:IPAslink ш	(Template:IPAslink х)
	voiced	Template:IPAslink в	Template:IPAslink з	Template:IPAslink зь	Template:IPAslink ж
Trill			Template:IPAslink р	Template:IPAslink рь
Approximant			Template:IPAslink л	Template:IPAslink ль	Template:IPAslink й

Palatalization is widespread in Erzya, but is contrastive only for the alveolar consonants. The labial and velar consonants have palatalized allophones before the front vowels {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. The pairs {{#invoke:IPA|main}} – {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} – {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}} – {{#invoke:IPA|main}} also often alternate depending on a following or preceding back vs. front vowel. E.g. the 1st person singular possessive suffix has allomorphs such as {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. The palatalized consonants can natively occur also in a back vowel environment, e.g. the genitive suffix {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, providing minimal pairs such as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:IPA|main}} 'my house' – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:IPA|main}} '(a) house's'. Non-palatalized {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in a front vowel environment are limited to recent Russian loans such as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:IPA|main}} 'whale'.<ref name="Rueter">Template:Cite book </ref>

Note on romanized transcription: in Uralic studies, the members of the palatalized series are usually spelled as Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, while the postalveolar sounds are spelled Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr (see Uralic Phonetic Alphabet).

Template:IPAslink and Template:IPAslink are loan phonemes from Russian.<ref name=Saarinen/> There is a phonemic contrast between Template:IPAslink and Template:IPAslink, despite that they share the standard spelling ⟨н⟩. Minimal pairs include:

• {{#invoke:IPA|main}} "along the path", in which the alveolar {{#invoke:IPA|main}} of the stem is retained before the prolative case ending {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, vs. {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, the connegative form of the verb {{#invoke:IPA|main}} "to break"
• {{#invoke:IPA|main}} "good", subject or object complement in {{#invoke:IPA|main}} translative, vs. {{#invoke:IPA|main}} "direction; area". See Rueter 2010: 58.

File:Mordovians in Russia.png

Mordovians in European Russia

Vowels

Erzya has a simple five-vowel system.<ref name=Zaicz>Template:Cite book</ref>

	Front	Back
High	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link
Mid	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link
Low	Template:IPA link

The front vowels {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}} have centralized variants Template:IPAblink and Template:IPAblink immediately following a plain alveolar consonant, e.g. Template:Transliteration {{#invoke:IPA|main}} "they", Template:Transliteration {{#invoke:IPA|main}} "blue".

Vowel harmony

As in many other Uralic languages, Erzya has vowel harmony. Most roots contain either front vowels ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}) or back vowels ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}). In addition, all suffixes with mid vowels have two forms: the form to be used is determined by the final syllable of the stem. The low vowel ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}), found in the comparative case {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "the size of" and the prolative {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "spatial multipoint used with verbs of motion as well as position" is a back vowel and not subject to vowel harmony.

The rules of vowel harmony are as follows:

1. If the final syllable of the word stem contains a front vowel, the front form of the suffix is used: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "village", {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "in a village"
2. If the final syllable of the word stem contains a back vowel, and it is followed by plain (non-palatalized) consonants, the back form of the suffix is used: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "house", {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "in a house"

However, if the back vowel is followed by a palatalized consonant or palatal glide, vowel harmony is violated and the "front" form of the suffix is used: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "with willow", {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "with butter". Likewise, if a front-vowel stem is followed by a low back vowel suffix, subsequent syllables will contain back harmony: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "throughout its villages"

Thus the seeming violations of vowel harmony attested in stems, e.g. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "axe", {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "thread (string)", are actually due to the palatalized consonants {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.

One exception to front-vowel harmony is observed in palatalized non-final {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, e.g. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) "with asphalt".

Writing

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Cyrillic alphabet

The modern Erzya alphabet is the same as for Russian:<ref name="Saarinen" />

А {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Б {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	В {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Г {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Д {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Е {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ё {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ж {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	З {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	И {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Й {{#invoke:IPA|main}}
К {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Л {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	М {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Н {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	О {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	П {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Р {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	С {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Т {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	У {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ф {{#invoke:IPA|main}}
Х {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ц {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ч {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ш {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Щ {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ъ {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ы {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ь {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Э {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Ю {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	Я {{#invoke:IPA|main}}

The letters ф, х, щ and ъ are only used in loanwords from Russian. The pre-1929 version of the Erzya alphabet included the additional letter Cyrillic ligature En Ge (Ҥ ҥ) in some publications, (cf. Evsevyev 1928).

In combination with the alveolar consonants т, д, ц, с, з, н, л, and р, vowel letters are employed to distinguish between plain and palatalized articulations in a similar way as in Russian: а, э, ы, о, у follow plain alveolars, while я, е, и, ё, ю follow palatalized alveolars, e.g. та /ta/, тэ /te/, ты /ti/, то /to/, ту /tu/ vs. тя /tʲa/, те /tʲe/, ти /tʲi/, тё /tʲo/, тю /tʲu/. If no vowel follows, palatalization is indicated by ь, e.g. ть /tʲ/. Following non-alveolar consonants, only а, е, и, о, у occur, e.g. па /pa/, пе /pe/, пи /pi/, по /po/, пу /pu/.

Latin alphabet

Template:Undue weight section A Latin alphabet was officially approved by the government of Nizhne-Volzhskiy Kray in 1932, but it was never used:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

a в c ç d ә e f g y i j k l m n o p r s ş t u v x z ƶ ь

One of the modern Latin alphabet proposals:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Primary source inline

a b c č ć d d́/ď e f g h i j k l ĺ/ľ m n ń o p r ŕ s š ś t t́/ť u v z ž ź

Cyrillic	Latin
a	a
б	b
в	v
г	g
д	before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — d́/ď
	not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — d
e	at the beginning of a word — je
	after a vowel — je
	after a consonant — e
ë	at the beginning of a word — jo
	after a vowel — jo
	after a consonant — o
ж	ž
з	before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ź
	not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — z
и	at the beginning of a word — i
	after a consonant — i
	after a vowel — ji
й	j
к	k
л	before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ĺ/ľ
	not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — l
м	m
н	before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ń
	not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — n
o	o
п	p
p	before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ŕ
	not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — r
c	before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ś
	not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — s
т	before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — t́/ť
	not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — t
у	u
ф	f (only in loanwords)
x	h (only in loanwords)
ц	before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ć
	not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — c
ч	č
ш	š
щ	šč/šť (only in loanwords)
ъ	–
ы	i
ь	–
э	e
ю	at the beginning of a word — ju
	after a vowel — ju
	after a consonant — u
я	at the beginning of a word — ja
	after a vowel — ja
	after a consonant — a

Morphology

Like all other Uralic languages, Erzya is an agglutinative language which expresses grammatical relations by means of suffixes.

Nouns

Nouns are inflected for case, number, definiteness and possessor. Erzya distinguishes twelve cases (here illustrated with the noun {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} Template:Transliteration "ground, earth"). Number is systematically distinguished only with definite nouns; for indefinite nouns and nouns with a possessive suffix, only the nominative case has a distinct plural.<ref name="Zaicz" /><ref name="Saarinen" />

Case	Indefinite		Definite		Template:Gcl possessive		Template:Gcl possessive	Template:Gcl possessive
	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular/plural	singular	plural
nominative	мода moda	мода-т moda-t	мода-сь moda-ś	мода-тне moda-tńe	мода-м moda-m	мода-н moda-n	мода-т moda-t	мода-зo moda-zo	мода-нзo moda-nzo
genitive	мода-нь moda-ń		мода-нть moda-ńt́	мода-тне-нь moda-tńe-ń
dative/allative	мода-нень moda-ńeń		мода-нтень moda-ńt́eń	мода-тне-нень moda-tńe-ńeń
inessive	мода-со moda-so		мода-сонть moda-sońt́	мода-тне-сэ moda-tńe-se	мода-со-н moda-so-n		мода-со-т moda-so-t	мода-со-нзo moda-so-nzo
elative	мода-сто moda-sto		мода-стонть moda-stońt́	мода-тне-стэ moda-tńe-ste	мода-сто-н moda-sto-n		мода-сто-т moda-sto-t	мода-сто-нзo moda-sto-nzo
illative	мода-с moda-s		мода-нтень moda-ńt́eń	мода-тне-с moda-tńe-s	мода-з-oн moda-z-on		мода-з-oт moda-z-ot	мода-з-oнзo moda-z-onzo
prolative	мода-ва moda-va		мода-ванть moda-vańt́	мода-тне-ва moda-tńe-va	мода-ва-н moda-va-n		мода-ва-т moda-va-t	мода-ва-нзo moda-va-nzo
ablative	мода-до moda-do		мода-донть moda-dońt́	мода-тне-дe moda-tńe-d́e	мода-до-н moda-do-n		мода-до-т moda-do-t	мода-до-нзo moda-do-nzo
lative	мода-в moda-v		Template:N/a	Template:N/a	colspan="2" Template:N/a	Template:N/a	colspan="2" Template:N/a
translative	мода-кс moda-ks		мода-ксонть moda-ksońt́	мода-тне-кс moda-tńe-ks	мода-кс-oн moda-ks-on		мода-кс-oт moda-ks-ot	мода-кс-oнзo moda-ks-onzo
abessive	мода-втомо moda-vtomo		мода-втомонть moda-vtomońt́	мода-тне-втеме moda-tńe-vt́eme	мода-втомо-н moda-vtomo-n		мода-втомо-т moda-vtomo-t	мода-втомо-нзo moda-vtomo-nzo
comparative	мода-шка moda-ška		мода-шканть moda-škańt́	мода-тне-шка moda-tńe-ška	мода-шка-н moda-ška-n		мода-шка-т moda-ška-t	мода-шка-нзo moda-ška-nzo

Plural possessors follow the pattern of second person singular possessors.

Case	Template:Gcl.Template:Gcl	Template:Gcl.Template:Gcl	Template:Gcl.Template:Gcl
	singular/plural	singular/plural	singular/plural
nominative	мода-нoк moda-nok	мода-нк moda-nk	мода-ст moda-st
inessive (...)	мода-со-нoк moda-so-nok (...)	мода-со-нк moda-so-nk (...)	мода-со-ст moda-so-st (...)

Verbs

Erzya verbs are inflected for tense and mood, and are further conjugated for person of subject and object.<ref name="Saarinen" /><ref name="Zaicz" /> Traditionally, three stem types are distinguished: a-stems, o-stems and e-stems. A-stems always retain the stem vowel a in the non-third-person present-tense forms, and in the third-person first past-tense forms (e.g. Template:Transliteration "kissed"). With many o-stems and e-stems, the stem vowel is dropped in these forms (e.g. o-stem Template:Transliteration "watched", e-stem Template:Transliteration "swallowed"), but there also o- and e-stem verbs which retain the vowel (Template:Transliteration "slept", Template:Transliteration "cooked"). Rueter (2010) therefore divides verb stems into vowel-retaining stems and vowel-dropping stems.<ref name="Rueter" />

In indicative mood, three tenses are distinguished: present/future, first past, second (=habitual) past.

indicative mood

		present/future tense			first past tense		second past tense
		a-stem	o-stem	e-stem	a-stem	e-stem	e-stem
		Template:Nobold	Template:Nobold	Template:Nobold	Template:Nobold	Template:Nobold	Template:Nobold
1st person	singular	мора-н mora-n	ван-ан van-an	пил-ян piĺ-an	сод-ы-нь sod-i-ń	мер-и-нь meŕ-i-ń	неи-линь ńej-i-ĺiń
	plural	мора-тано mora-tano	ван-тано van-tano	пиль-тяно piĺ-t́ano	сод-ы-нек sod-i-ńek	мер-и-нек meŕ-i-ńek	неи-линек ńej-i-ĺińek
2nd person	singular	мора-т mora-t	ван-ат van-at	пил-ят piĺ-at	сод-ы-ть sod-i-t́	мер-и-ть meŕ-i-t́	неи-лить ńej-i-ĺit́
	plural	мора-тадо mora-tado	ван-тадо van-tado	пиль-тядо piĺ-t́ado	сод-ы-де sod-i-d́e	мер-и-де meŕ-i-d́e	неи-лиде ńej-i-ĺid́e
3rd person	singular	мор-ы mor-i	ван-ы van-i	пил-и piĺ-i	содa-сь soda-ś	мер-сь meŕ-ś	неи-ль ńej-i-ĺ
	plural	мор-ыть mor-it́	ван-ыть van-it́	пил-ить piĺ-it́	содa-сть soda-śt́	мер-сть meŕ-śt́	неи-льть ńej-i-ĺt́
infinitive	first	мора-мс mora-ms	вано-мс vano-ms	пиле-мс piĺe-ms	сода-мс soda-ms	мере-мс meŕe-ms	нее-мс ńeje-ms
	second	мора-мо mora-mo	вано-мо vano-mo	пиле-ме piĺe-me	сода-мо soda-mo	мере-ме meŕe-me	нее-ме ńeje-me

The third-person singular form in the present tense is also used as present participle. The second past tense is formed by adding the past-tense copula Template:Transliteration to the present participle.

The other mood categories are:

• conditional (Template:Transliteration + present suffixes)
• conjunctive (Template:Transliteration(V)Template:Transliteration + past suffixes)
• conditional-conjunctive (Template:Transliteration(V)Template:Transliteration + past suffixes)
• desiderative (Template:Transliteration + past suffixes)
• optative (Template:Transliteration + present suffixes)
• imperative (Template:Transliteration)

other mood categories

		conditional	conjunctive	conditional-conjunctive	desiderative
		Template:Nobold	Template:Nobold	Template:Nobold	Template:Nobold
1st person	singular	ярс-ындеря-н jars-ińd́eŕa-n	изня-влинь iźńa-vĺiń	ул-индеря-влинь uĺ-ińd́eŕa-vĺiń	вид-иксэлинь vid́-ikseĺiń
	plural	ярс-ындеря-тано jars-ińd́eŕa-tano	изня-влинек iźńa-vĺińek	ул-индеря-влинек uĺ-ińd́eŕa-vĺińek	вид-иксэлинек vid́-ikseĺińek
2nd person	singular	ярс-ындеря-т jars-ińd́eŕa-t	изня-влить iźńa-vĺit́	ул-индеря-влить uĺ-ińd́eŕa-vĺit́	вид-иксэлить vid́-ikseĺit́
	plural	ярс-ындеря-тадо jars-ińd́eŕa-tado	изня-влиде iźńa-vĺid́e	ул-индеря-влиде uĺ-ińd́eŕa-vĺid́e	вид-иксэлиде vid́-ikseĺid́e
3rd person	singular	ярс-ындеря-й jars-ińd́eŕa-j	изня-воль iźńa-voĺ	ул-индеря-воль uĺ-ińd́eŕa-voĺ	вид-иксэль vid́-ikseĺ
	plural	ярс-ындеря-йть jars-ińd́eŕa-jt́	изня-вольть iźńa-voĺt́	ул-индеря-вольть uĺ-ińd́eŕa-voĺt́	вид-иксэльть vid́-ikseĺt́
infinitive	first	ярса-мс jarsa-ms	изня-мс iźńa-ms	уле-мс uĺe-ms	виде-мс vid́e-ms
	second	ярса-мо jarsa-mo	изня-мо iźńa-mo	уле-ме uĺe-me	виде-ме vid́e-me

Vocabulary

Erzya	English
Шумбрат (Šumbrat)	Hello (to one person)
Шумбратадо (Šumbratado)	Hello (to multiple people)
Кода тонь леметь? (Koda toń ĺemet́?)	What is your name?
Монь лемем ___. (Moń ĺemem ___.)	My name is ____.
Сюкпря (Śukpŕa)	Thank you
Вастомазонок (Vastomazonok)	Goodbye
ава (ava)	woman
ломань (lomań)	man, person
эйкакш (ejkakš)	child
ялга (jalga), оя (oja)	friend
тетя (t́et́a)	father
ава (ava)	mother
цёра (ćora)	boy
тейтерь (t́ejt́eŕ)	girl
кудо (kudo)	house
ош (oš)	city
мастор (mastor)	land
килей (kiĺej)	birch tree
лей (ĺej)	river
вирь (viŕ)	forest
эрьке (eŕke)	lake
кинига (kińiga), конёвкс (końovks)	book
столь (stoĺ), тувор (tuvor)	table
пине (pińe)	dog
псака (psaka), катка (katka)	cat
ракша (rakša)	animal
овто (ovto)	bear
кал (kal)	fish

Sample text

citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Erzya (Transliteration)	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Весе ломантне чачить олякс ды правасост весе вейкетекс. Сынст улить превест-чарьксчист ды визькстэ чарькодемаст, вейке-вейкень коряс прясь тенст ветяма братонь ёжо марто.	Veśe lomańt́ńe čačit́ oĺaks di pravasost veśe vejket́eks. Sinst uĺit́ pŕevest-čaŕksčist di viźkste čaŕkod́emast, vejke-vejkeń koŕas pŕaś t́eńst vet́ama bratoń jožo marto.	All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

See also

• Erzya people
• Erzya literature
• Erzyan Mastor

Bibliography

• A.I. Bryzhinskiy, O.V. Pashutina, Ye.I. Chernov. Писатели Мордовии Биобиблиографический справочник. Saransk: Mordovskoye Knizhnoye Izdatelystvo, 2001. Template:ISBN.
• Vasilij D'omin. Сюконян тенк... Эрзянь писательде ёвтнемат. Saransk, 2005. Template:ISBN.
• Ksenija Djordjevic & Jean-Leo Leonard. Parlons Mordve. Paris: L'Harmattan, 2006, Template:ISBN.
• Makar E. Evsev'ev. Основы мордовской грамматика, Эрзянь грамматика. С приложением образцов мокшанских склонений и спряжений. Москва: Центральное издательство народов СССР, 1928.
• Jack Rueter. Adnominal Person in the Morphological System of Erzya. Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia 261. Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, 2010, Template:ISBN [print], Template:ISBN [online].
• D.V. Tsygankin. Память запечатленная в слове: Словарь географических названий республики Мордовия. Saransk, 2005. Template:ISBN.

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline

• Finno-Ugric Electronic Library by the Finno-Ugric Information Center in Syktyvkar, Komi Republic (interface in Russian and English, texts in Mari, Komi, Udmurt, Erzya and Moksha languages): [1]
• Erzjanj Mastor – The society for preserving the Erzya language (in Erzya and Russian)
• https://web.archive.org/web/20061029185215/http://www.info-rm.com/er/index.php News in the Erzya and Moksha Mordvinian languages
• [2] Эрзянский язык
• Erzya – Finnish/English/German/Russian dictionary (robust finite-state, open-source)
• [3] Erzya studies reference bibliography under construction.
• Russian-Moksha-Erzya Dictionary
• Russian-Erzya Dictionary