улемс

Moksha

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ulʲəms/

Verb

улемс • (uľems)

1. (intransitive) to be
   • O. Je. Poljakov (1993) Russko-mokšanskij razgovornik [Russian-Moksha phrasebook], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN

     Ванды тяка пингть улян тяса

     Vandi ťaka pingť uľan ťasa

     Tomorrow, same time I will be here

     Ульхтяма (уледа) содавикс

     Uľhťama (uľeda) sodaviks

     Let us introduce ourselves ([you pl.] please introduce yourselves) to each other [улемс содавикс = to be familiar]

     Мзяра ши тинь ульхтяда тяса?

     Mźara ši ťiń uľhťada ťasa?

     How many days will you be here?

     Уледе тинь «Мокша» или «Сура» ваймама кудса?

     Uľeďe ťiń «Mokša» iľi «Sura» vajmama kudsa?

     Were you in the guesthouse Mokša or Sura?

2. (intransitive, with the possessed in possessive and the possessor in genitive) to have
   • O. Je. Poljakov (1993) Russko-mokšanskij razgovornik [Russian-Moksha phrasebook], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN

     Кинь ули мялец корхтамс?

     Kiń uľi mäľec korhtams?

     Who wants (~ has a wish) to speak? (lit. "who is their wish to speak?")

Usage notes

The usage of this verb closely follows Russian in many cases. In Russian the usage of the verb "to be" in present is extremely limited, thus Moksha:

• Тя мазы! ― Ta mazi! ― This is beautiful! (lit. "this beautiful!")
• Тя аф мазы ― Ta af mazi ― This is not beautiful (lit. "this not beautiful")

The future of the verb "to be" is regularly used in Russian, since Moksha present doubles as future, present conjugation can often be taken to mean future.

This verb is usually not used in negative, instead the negative particles аф (af) and аш (aš) and their conjugated forms are used.

Outside of Russian influence Moksha conjugates nominals to express being some entity or some quality, e.g., васенцесян, васенцесят (vaśeńćeśan , vaśeńćeśat, “I'm the first, you're the first”).

Conjugation

Subjective conjugation of улемс

	Present / future
1st singular — мон (mon)	улян (uľan)
2nd singular — тон (ton)	улят (uľat)
3rd singular — сон (son)	ули (uľi)
1st plural — минь (miń)	ульхтяма (uľhťama)
2nd plural — тинь (ťiń)	ульхтяда (uľhťada)
3rd plural — синь (śiń)	улихть (uľihť)
	Past I
1st singular — мон (mon)	улень (uľeń)
2nd singular — тон (ton)	улеть (uľeť)
3rd singular — сон (son)	ульсь (uľś)
1st plural — минь (miń)	улеме (uľeme)
2nd plural — тинь (ťiń)	уледе (uľeďe)
3rd plural — синь (śiń)	ульсть (uľśť)
	Compound future
1st singular — мон (mon)	карман улема (karman uľema)
2nd singular — тон (ton)	кармат улема (karmat uľema)
3rd singular — сон (son)	кармай улема (karmaj uľema)
1st plural — минь (miń)	карматама улема (karmatama uľema)
2nd plural — тинь (ťiń)	карматада улема (karmatada uľema)
3rd plural — синь (śiń)	кармайхть улема (karmajhť uľema)
	Imperative
2nd singular — тон (ton)	ульхть (uľhť)
2nd plural — тинь (ťiń)	уледа (uľeda)
	Non-finite forms
verbal noun	улема (uľema)
past passive participle	—
agentive / pres. act. part.	ули (uľi)
present passive participle	—

Subjective conjugation in other moods is possible.
Objective conjugation is possible for transitive verbs, see, for example, кундамс (kundams).

Coordinate terms

• ащемс (aščems)