улемс

Moksha

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ulʲəms/

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Verb

улемс • (ulems)

(intransitive) to be
- O. Je. Poljakov (1993) Russko-mokšanskij razgovornik [Russian-Moksha phrasebook], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN
  Ванды тяка пингть улян тяса
  Vandï täka pingť ulän täsa
  Tomorrow, same time I will be here
  
  Ульхтяма (уледа) содавикс
  Ulxtäma (uleda) sodaviks
  Let us introduce ourselves ([you pl.] please introduce yourselves) to each other [улемс содавикс = to be familiar]
  
  Мзяра ши тинь ульхтяда тяса?
  Mzära ši tiń ulxtäda täsa?
  How many days will you be here?
  
  Уледе тинь «Мокша» или «Сура» ваймама кудса?
  Ulede tiń «Mokša» ili «Sura» vajmama kudsa?
  Were you in the guesthouse Mokša or Sura?
(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 uli mälec korxtams?
  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! ― Tä mazï! ― This is beautiful! (lit. "this beautiful!")
Тя аф мазы ― Tä af mazï ― 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 (vasencesän , vasencesät, “I'm the first, you're the first”).

Conjugation

Subjective conjugation of улемс

	Present / future
1^st singular — мон (mon)	улян (ulän)
2^nd singular — тон (ton)	улят (ulät)
3^rd singular — сон (son)	ули (uli)
1^st plural — минь (miń)	ульхтяма (ulxtäma)
2^nd plural — тинь (tiń)	ульхтяда (ulxtäda)
3^rd plural — синь (siń)	улихть (ulihť)
	Past I
1^st singular — мон (mon)	улень (uleń)
2^nd singular — тон (ton)	улеть (uleť)
3^rd singular — сон (son)	ульсь (ulś)
1^st plural — минь (miń)	улеме (uleme)
2^nd plural — тинь (tiń)	уледе (ulede)
3^rd plural — синь (siń)	ульсть (ulsť)
	Compound future
1^st singular — мон (mon)	карман улема (karman ulema)
2^nd singular — тон (ton)	кармат улема (karmat ulema)
3^rd singular — сон (son)	кармай улема (karmaj ulema)
1^st plural — минь (miń)	карматама улема (karmatama ulema)
2^nd plural — тинь (tiń)	карматада улема (karmatada ulema)
3^rd plural — синь (siń)	кармайхть улема (karmajhť ulema)
	Imperative
2^nd singular — тон (ton)	ульхть (ulxť)
2^nd plural — тинь (tiń)	уледа (uleda)
	Non-finite forms
verbal noun	улема (ulema)
past passive participle	—
agentive / pres. act. part.	ули (uli)
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)