Postposition деер in the Kalmyk Language: Spatial Semantics

Abstract

Introduction. The article examines spatial uses of the postposition деер in the Kalmyk language. The semantic system of postpositions that form postpositional constructions comprises a complex area of various relations. A remarkable place in the Mongolic languages is occupied by spatial meanings of postpositions, the postposition деер being a most common and productive one therein. Goals. The research aims to describe spatial meanings of the postposition деер in the Kalmyk language. Materials. The work analyzes data selected from various dictionaries, literary and journalistic texts included in the National Corpus of the Kalmyk Language, Kalmyk National Corpus, and the Kalmyk Digital Library. Results. This postposition is mentioned in all dictionaries of Mongolic languages and is a most common and productive lexical unit. It expresses a wide variety of relations resulting from its syntactic ties: spatial, temporal, comitative, target, and quantitative-restrictive values. Along with concrete, real relations this postposition in various speech situations acquires additional, sometimes very abstract meanings based its core seme. The spatial meanings of the postposition деер in the Kalmyk language are considered in detail. In addition to its main meaning — location or movement on the surface — this postposition indicates movement or performing an action over the surface of an object without reaching contact, in close vicinity, near a landmark, and also shows the direction of action. This postposition can express ‘event space’. Conclusions. The analysis of spatial relations expressed by the postposition деер shows a variety of transmitted meanings in various speech situations, as well as features of its use in the Kalmyk language.

Keywords

• spatial relations
• postpositions
• means of expression
• kalmyk language