сембе

Moksha

Etymology

This term corresponds to the pronoun ся (sä, “that”) with an element -mp/-mb which is cognate with Finnish -mpi and Hungarian -bb (comparative suffix). Moksha омба (omba, “other”) (> омбоце (omboce, “second”)) is derived the same way, with the element o- of pronominal origin. These are some of the only vestiges of this conjectured -mb suffix in the Mordvinic languages.

Serebrennikov, however, thinks that analytic/periphrastic formation of comparatives of adjectives was the original Uralic way of doing this. On the question what function this suffix served then, he offers Komi-Zyrian -ӧб (-öb), e.g., резӧб (rezöb, “lively, perky”), Wichmann, considering -õb a descendant of *-mb, called such formations nomina augmentativa or intensiva, thus this suffix would have served to intensify possession of some characteristic. In Moksha a different suffix (-нга (-nga) added to the ablative) is used as an intensifier,^[1] this is apparently how the comparative preposition сядонга (sädonga) is derived but it is productive with other nominals as well.

Comparatives are otherwise expressed periphrastically in Moksha, see, for example, сире (sire, “old”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /sʲemʲbʲæ/^[2]

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Pronoun

сембе • (śembä)

all
- O. Je. Poljakov (1995) Učimsja govoritʹ po-mokšanski [Let's learn to speak Moksha], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN, page 19
  Азан спасиба сембонкса!
  Azan spasiba sembonksa !
  I thank you for everything!
- V. I. Ščankina (2011) Russko-mokšansko-erzjanskij slovarʹ [Russian-Moksha-Erzya Dictionary], Saransk, →ISBN
  сивомс сембонь
  sivoms semboń
  to eat up (lit. "to eat of all")
  
  сембонь, марнек (совсем)
  semboń , marnek (sovsem)
  entirely, entirely (entirely [in Russian])
  
  аф сембонди содама
  af sembondi sodama
  hidden, secret (lit. "not knowledge to everyone")
  
  сембоса
  sembosa
  all around, in entirety
  
  так или иначе — сембе сяка
  tak ili inače — sembe säka
  either way ~ all the same [in Russian] — either way ~ all the same

Declension

Indefinite declension of сембе

	singular	plural
nominative	сембе (sembe)	сембот (sembot)
genitive	сембонь (semboń)	—
dative	сембонди (sembondi)	—
ablative	сембода (semboda)	—
inessive	сембоса (sembosa)	—
elative	сембоста (sembosta)	—
illative	сембос (sembos)	—
prolative	сембова (sembova)	—
comparative	сембошка (semboška)	—
translative	сембокс (semboks)	—
abessive	сембофтома (semboftoma)	—
causative	сембонкса (sembonksa)	—

Derived terms

сембода (semboda)
сембе сяка (sembe säka)
сембонь (semboń)
сембоса (sembosa)

References

^ Serebrennikov, B. A. (1967) Istoričeskaja morfologija mordovskix jazykov [Historical morphology of the Mordvinic languages] (in Russian), Moskva, page 73
^ śeḿb́ä in https://web.archive.org/web/20161110151523/http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/~rueter/Paasonen/ORIGINALS/mw_styles_s%CC%81_.shtml

[1] Serebrennikov, B. A. (1967) Istoričeskaja morfologija mordovskix jazykov [Historical morphology of the Mordvinic languages] (in Russian), Moskva, page 73

[2] śeḿb́ä in https://web.archive.org/web/20161110151523/http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/~rueter/Paasonen/ORIGINALS/mw_styles_s%CC%81_.shtml

[1]

[2]