Votian/Infinitives

Verbal nouns
=== ta - infinitive ===

==== Phonological history ====


 * The Finno-Lappic  -tak suffix lost it's t component after unstressed vowels like the suffixes of  indefinite voice and  partitive  due to the  consonant gradation in stems and suffixes e.g. uju+tak > ujua  ('to swim'), tšüzü+tak > tšüzüä  ('to ask').
 * The final -k has been preserved only in Eastern Votic dialect e.g.  sȫ ̨ äG  (" to eat "). All the other dialects both in Ingria and Estonia have lost the phoneme *k in the end of words e.g. süvvä (" to eat ").

Morphophonology
ta - infinitive suffix takes a consonant stem if available.


 * The -t component of the suffix has usually been assimilated with preceding dental consonants:  l, л, n, r, s, t  like in indefinite voice.
 * t + t > t: e.g. avat-aG ('to open' Eastern Votic dialect) < *avat-tak.
 * h + t > h: e.g. teh-ä ('to make') < *teh-tak.
 * s + t > ss: e.g. pes-säG ('to wash' Eastern Votic dialect) < *pes-tak.
 * л + t > лл: e.g. kōл-лa ('to die') < *kōл-tak,  jute̮ллa  (" to say ") < * jute̮л+tak 
 * l + t > ll: e.g. pitel-lä ('to hold') < *pitel-tak
 * r + t > rr: e.g. sur-ra ('to die') < *sur-tak.
 * n + t > nn: e.g. men-nä ('to go') < *men-tak.


 * The -t component of the suffix will be assimilated also with preceding stressed long (labialized) vowels: o, u, ö, y  like in indefinite voice producing:
 * ō + ta > uvva
 * ū + ta > uvva
 * ȫ + ta > üvvä
 * ǖ + ta > üvvä
 * e.g. jō+taksen > juvva  ('to drink').


 * The suffix will lose it's t component after unstressed vowels like in indefinite voice and  partitive  e.g. uju+tak > ujua  ('to swim'), tšüzü+tak > tšüzüä  ('to ask').
 * In such cases  ä  and  a  of the stem melt together with the vowel of the suffix into a single long vowel e.g.  väittä+tak >  väittǟG  (" to drag ") - Eastern Votic dialect.


 * Verbal stem is always in the same grade as in present tense indefinite voice and plural of the second person imperative.
 * лuke̮a ('to read') ~ лuke̮assa ('Somebody reads.') ~ лuke̮gā ('Read!' - plural) X лuge̮G ('Read!' - singular)
 * vs. magata ('to sleep') ~ magatassa ('Somebody sleeps.') ~ magatkā ('Sleep!' - plural) X makā ('Sleep!' - singular)

Pronunciation

 * The vowel a alternates with ä and e̮ alternates with e according to vowel harmony rules.
 * uppot+tak >  upota  (" to drown ")
 * üppät+tak >  üpätä  (" to jump ")
 *  suvat+ta'essa >  suvate̮za  (" loving ")
 *  üppät+ta'essa >  üpätezä  (" jumping ")


 * 1) The final -k is pronounced as -G only in Eastern Votic dialect e.g.  sȫ ̨ äG  (" to eat "). All the other dialects both in Ingria and Estonia have lost the phoneme *k in the end of words e.g. süvvä (" to eat ").
 * 2)  Inessive  -ssa component of -ta'essa  morpheme  is generally pronounced as  -zä, -za    ( depending in vowel harmony ).
 * 3) The -t component of the suffix goes through all the assimilations described above in  morphophonology  paragraph.
 * 4) The buffer -e has been usually melt together with the preceding vowel e.g.  elä+ta'essa >  elǟzä  (" living "),  pitä+ta'essa >  pitǟzä  (" keeping "),  лaula+ta'essa >  лauлāza  (" singing ").
 * 5) but it may be pronounced as i (replacing the last component of the preceding vowel) in some dialects e.g.  Lempola   elä+ta'essa >  eläizä  (" living "),  pitä+ta'essa >  pitäizä  (" keeping "),  лauлa+ta'essa >  лauлaiza  (" singing ").
 * 6) after a  consonant stem -e replaces the preceding vowel e.g.  jute̮л+ta'essa >  jute̮ллe̮za  (" saying "),  pan+ta'essa >  panne̮za  (" putting "),  men+ta'essa >  mennezä  (" going "),  üpät+ta'essa >  üpätezä  (" jumping "),  suvat+ta'essa >  suvate̮za  (" loving ").

Usage
-tak morpheme  may express
 * 1)  object  - e.g.  aлke̮   tšüzüä    (" She started to ask. "),  piäp ̮ tehä    (" She has to do. "),  väsü mäntšiä    (" She has got tired of playing. " ? Russian influence:  устал играть  vs. Finnish:  väsyi leikkimästä )

-ta'essa morpheme  may express
 * 1)  time  of an simultaneous action - e.g.  elǟzä en e̮лe̮ nähnü nī üvǟ lehmǟ    (" I haven't seen such a good cow in my lifetime . ").
 * 2)  description  of an assistant action - e.g.  лauлāza mentī kotōsē̮    (" They went home singing. "),  tȫtä tehezä e̮лe̮n ain elännü    (" I have lived my life working all the time . ")
 * In runic songs  it may occur with a  possessive suffix, which marks the  agent  of the action - e.g.  süvvezäzi  (" while you are eating "),  antāzani  (" while I shall be giving ")

-ta'kse morpheme  with a  possessive suffix, which marks the  agent  of the action, may express
 * 1) an  option  or a possible action - e.g.  anna tupa tuллasse̮ni, rihi sōja e̮ллasse̮ni, лautad ̮ лahti tšävvässeni    (" Give me a chamber where I could come, a warm room where I could be, open byres where I could go . ").
 * 2) It occurs in  runic songs  only. Even though Ahlqvist describes it in his grammar as an ordinary feature.
 * 3) Similar constructions are used in  Finnish  also e.g.  Vene oli kevyt soutaaksemme.    ("The boat was easy (light) for us to row." ).

Dialectal alternatives

 * Votic of Ingria
 * Eastern Votic dialect
 * The final -k is pronounced as -G in Eastern Votic dialect. All the other dialects both in Ingria and Estonia have lost the phoneme *k in the end of words e.g.  tō ̨aG  (" to bring "),  väittǟG  (" to drag "),  pannaG  (" to put "),  sitoaG  (" to tie "),  avataG  (" to open ").


 * Western Votic dialects
 * s + t > s: e.g. väris-ä ('to tremble') < *väris-tak.

 kutsuasē̮ ('Somebody invites' ).
 * 4) Western
 * 5) Hill Votic dialect: Kattila and surroundings
 * 6) The suffix -tak has became -tassa or -tässä according to vowel harmony rules e.g. ripussa+tak > ripussāssa ('Somebody hangs' ) vs. repi+tak > repiässä ('Somebody tears' )
 * 7) The suffix -tak may have lost its final syllable and became -tas̄ or -täs̄ according to vowel harmony rules e.g. лauлa+tak > лauлās̄ ('Somebody sings')
 * 8) Valley Votic dialect: Mati and surroundings
 * 9) The suffix -tak has became -taz or -täz according to vowel harmony rules e.g. sȫ + tak > süvväz ('Somebody eats' ) vs. ve̮tta+tak > ve̮ttāz ('Somebody takes' )
 * 10) The suffix -tak may still occur with it's final syllable e.g. -taze̮ or -täze according to vowel harmony rules.
 * 11) Pontizõõ dialect
 * 12) The suffix -tak has became -tassē̮ or -tässē according to vowel harmony rules e.g. pan+tak > pannassē̮ ('Somebody puts' ) vs. pes+tak > pesässē ('Somebody washes' )
 * 13) Vaipooli
 * 14) Jõgõperä dialect
 * 15) The suffix -tak has been replaced with -tā or -tǟ (influenced by Ingrian dialects) e.g. лauлo+tak > лauлotā ('Somebody sings') vs. tšüsü+tak > tšüzütǟ ('Somebody asks' )
 * 16) In front of any  indefinite voice marker the stem-vowel a alternates with e̮ and ä alternates with e e.g. levvetǟ ('Somebody finds' vs. levvä - the 2. person's singular imperative). This example is composed for Wikiversity and needs verification.
 * 17) Verbal stem is always in the weak grade in front of any  indefinite voice marker e.g. itke̮+tak > idge̮tā ('Somebody cries').

The suffix -tak may have been replaced with -ta or -Da (possibly influenced by Estonian coastal dialects) e.g. vestä+tak > vestetä ('Somebody whittles') Both suffixes with -sse component and without it may be found in Alutaguse runic songs, what makes it difficult to decide which option was the endemic one. -->
 * Alutaguse dialects
 * 1) The suffix -tak has became -tasse or -tas̆se (after an unstressed syllable) e.g. tuo+tak > tuasse ('Somebody brings' ) - Lüganuse dialect vs. tuo+tak > tūvas̆se ('Somebody brings' ) - Iisaku dialect
 * 2) The suffix -tak may substitute -tak suffix by negation e.g. epi tuo+tak > ei tuvas̆se ('Nobody brings' ) - Lüganuse dialect
 * 3) In front of any  indefinite voice marker the stem-vowel a alternates with e̮ and ä alternates with e e.g. laula+tak > laulet̆tasse ('Somebody sings') - Jõhvi dialect.
 * 4) Verbal stem is always in the weak grade in front of any  indefinite voice marker e.g. keittä+tak > keitet̆tässe ('Somebody boils').
 * 1) The suffix -tak may have been replaced with -tta or -t̆ta (after an unstressed syllable) (possibly influenced by Estonian coastal dialects) e.g. kisku+tak > kisut̆ta ('Somebody tears' )
 * 2) The -ta component of the suffix has usually been assimilated with preceding dental consonants:  l, n, r, s, t  like the -tak infinitive e.g. me̮ttel+tak > me̮ella ('Somebody thinks'), pes+tak > pessäs̆se ('Somebody washes') - Lüganuse dialect.
 * 3) The -ta component of the suffix will be assimilated also with preceding stressed long (labialized) vowels and diphtongs: uo, ū, üö, ǖ like the -tak infinitive producing
 * 4) in archaic Lüganuse dialect
 * 5) uo + ta > ua
 * 6) ū + ta > ua
 * 7) üö + ta > üä
 * 8) ǖ + ta > üä
 * 9) elswhere in Alutaguse dialects
 * 10) uo + ta > ūva
 * 11) ū + ta > ūva
 * 12) üö + ta > ǖvä
 * 13) ǖ + ta > ǖvä
 * 14) e.g. tuo+tak > tua - Lüganuse dialect ~ tūva - Jõhvi dialect ('Somebody brings' )

==== Other Finnic dialects ====


 * Standard Finnish : luke-a ("to read")
 * Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : lugi-e ("to read")
 * Central Vepsian dialects : luge-da ("to read")
 * Hevaha Ingrian dialects : lukke-aG ("to read")
 * Standard Estonian : luge-da ("to read")
 * Räpina South Estonian dialects :  luk̆ke̮-&#x0294; ("to read")
 * Eastern Livonian dialects : lu ̉ggə̑   ("to read")

=== ma - infinitive ===

Pronunciation

 * Pronunciation of ma infinitive suffix varies according to vowel harmony e.g.  tšüsümǟ  (" to ask "),  jōnitte̮лe̮mā  (" to run ")
 *  -sē, -sē̮   may be added as a duplicate to an  illative  suffix.

Morphophonology
ma - infinitive suffix takes a vowel stem.

Thus any verbal stem of ma infinitive is always in the strong grade.
 * лuke̮mā ('to read' illative) ~ лuke̮a ('to read') ~ лuke̮assa ('Somebody reads.') ~ лuke̮gā ('Read!' - plural) X лuge̮G ('Read!' - singular)
 * vs. makāmā ('to sleep' illative) ~ makā ('Sleep!' - singular) X magatkā ('Sleep!' - plural) ~ magata ('to sleep') ~ magatassa ('Somebody sleeps.')

Phonological history and usage
ma - is a Uralic   verbal noun   derivation suffix, which marks
 * 1)  a process, a result  or  an object  - e.g.  surma    (" death " notice the  consonant stem),  jōma    (" a drink "),  vajoma    (" a soft place in a swamp ").

-masen illative  may express
 * 1)  destination, goal  - e.g.  meni kaлā pǖtämǟ    (" He went fishing. " kuhē̮ ?),  jōhse̮vad ̮ vāttamā    (" They run to see it. "),  issūmma ōkauttamā jaлkoi    (" We'll sit down to rest our feet. "),  ne̮istī tšüsümǟ    (" They started to ask. ")
 * 2)  uncertainty, probability  ( partitivus cum infinitivo ) like a  present participle - e.g.  jue̮лtī tuлe̮mā tuhkapǟn    (" He was told to come on Monday. "),  eb ̮ näü tšävelemǟ     (" She does not seem to walk. "),  näin tätä e̮лe̮mā    (" I saw her being (there). " ~ Estonian dialects :  nägin teda tulema )

-massa inessive  may express
 * 1)  situation  - e.g.  isä on sȫmäzä    (" Father is eating. " kuza ?),  e̮limma spektaklia vāttamaza    (" We were watching a performance. "),  e̮лtī   tšäümäzä    (" They went wooing. ")

-masta elative  may express
 * 1)  departure  - e.g.  tulin tšüntämässä    (" I came from ploughing. " kussa ?),  unohtīn tšüsümässä    (" I forgot to ask. ")

-matta abessive  may express
 * 1)  undone  action - e.g.  pe̮лto jäi tšüntämättä    (" The field remained unploughed. " ),  ve̮rkko on paratamattaG    (" The net is not repaired. " Eastern Votic dialect),  ope̮n on sȫmättä    (" The horse has not eaten. ")

Other Finnic dialects have used more cases of ma infinitive like external locative cases and  translative.

==== Other Finnic dialects ====


 * Standard Finnish : luke-maan ('to read' illative )
 * Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : luge-mah ('to read' illative )
 * Vepsian dialects : luge-maha ('to read' illative )
 * Ingrian dialects :  luGo-mān ('to read' illative )
 * Standard Estonian :  luge-ma ('to read' illative )
 * South Estonian Räpina dialects : luGe̮-ma  ('to read' illative )
 * Eastern Livonian dialects : lu ̉ggə̑-m ('to read' illative )

=== miine'  - gerund  ===

Phonological history and morphophonology

 * The miine'  suffix is composed of ma - suffix and a descriptive noun derivation suffix *-inen.
 * Short vowel has regularily disappeared in front of the -i- or melt together with it into a long ī like in  plural vanapa+i+лē̮  > vanapīлē̮  ('to elders').
 * The final *n of this suffix blocked the protofinnic sound change *  e > i  in the end of a word like a  possessive suffix  after translative marker, but disappeared later.
 * The second part of mii'se  suffix may be derived of something like *-ńt́śen e.g. Sami    -ńtš ,  Erzya    -ńt́śe .

Pronunciation of miine'  gerund suffix varies according to vowel harmony  -mine̮, -mine  e.g.  terppimine  (" long-suffering "),  e̮mpe̮лe̮mine̮  (" sewing ")
 * The final vowel of the suffix may be omitted e.g.  sȫmin  (" eating ").
 * The long ī of this morpheme  may be preserved (after any stem) in some dialects e.g.  jōmīn  (" drinking "),  makāmīze̮ллa  (" sleeping "  inessive ),  e̮mpe̮лe̮mīn  (" sewing ").
 * In some dialects the long ī has been preserved only in syllables of secondary stress  e.g.  luke̮mīn  (" reading "),  antamīn  (" giving ")).
 * In some dialects i of this suffix is never long e.g.  tetšemis̄    ("doing"  partitive).

miine'  - gerund suffix takes a vowel stem.

Thus any verbal stem of miine'  gerund is always in the strong grade.
 * лuke̮mine̮ ('reading') ~ лuke̮a ('to read') ~ лuke̮assa ('Somebody reads.') ~ лuke̮gā ('Read!' - plural) X лuge̮G ('Read!' - singular)
 * vs. makāmine̮ ('sleeping') ~ makā ('Sleep!' - singular) X magatkā ('Sleep!' - plural) ~ magata ('to sleep') ~ magatassa ('Somebody sleeps.')

Declension
miine'  - gerund is declined like the XII Declension: -nen   consonant stems i.e. it is replaced with mii's  ~ mii'se  in front of case or  plural suffixes e.g.  tetšemis̄     ("doing"  partitive),  makāmīze̮ллa  (" sleeping "  inessive ).

Usage
-mii'sella adessive  + possessive  *-hen may express
 * action of immediate future - e.g.  sȫmizellǟ   (" (?will be) eating in a moment "),  tuлe̮mīze̮ллā    (" (is) coming ~ about to come "),  antamīze̮ллā    (" (is) giving ~ about to give "),  staruχa on kōлe̮mīze̮ллā    ("The crone is dieing ~ about to die."),  e̮лin tuлe̮mīze̮ллā teilē vē̮razī, kui poika tuli läsivässi    ("I was about to come to visit you, when my son fell ill.").
 * Similar constructions are used in Finnish  also e.g.  Hän oli kuolemaisillaan.    ("He was about to die." ).

==== Other Finnic dialects ====


 * Standard Finnish : anta-minen ("giving") - anta-misen ( genitive )
 * Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : šüö-mińe  ("food")
 * Vepsian dialects : kudo-mińe  ("weaving")
 * Ingrian dialects : sȫ-minen ("food") - sȫ-miZen ( genitive )
 * Standard Estonian : ela-mine ("living (-room etc.)") - ela-mise ( genitive )
 * Livonian dialects : jelà-mi ("life")