卷 16, 编号 4 (2024)

Introduction. The dialects of the Mordovian Prisurye are characterized by a developed system of possessive suffixes and feature various means and forms of expressing possessive relations. Until now, the dialectal system of possessive suffixes in certain Erzya dialects within the studied region has not been the subject of dedicated research. Therefore, an important objective of this article is to describe the dialectal features of possessive suffixes within the paradigms of noun declensions and their realizations in the Erzya dialects of the villages in the Kochkurovsky District of the Republic of Mordovia. The aim of the study is a comparative analysis of the paradigms of possessive suffixes and the ways of expressing possessive relations in this dialectal landscape.

Materials and Methods. The research material includes field texts collected by the authors during linguistic expeditions to Erzya villages in the Prisurye region. Dialect material was gathered according to a questionnaire program that reflects the morphological variation of linguistic phenomena. An additional source of dialect data was obtained from the archives of the lexicography department at the Faculty of Philology of Mordovia State University. The study employs descriptive, structural, and comparative methods, which form the basis for analyzing the dialect material.

Results and Discussion. The dialects of the Mordovian Prisurye region are divided into several local groups that differ from each other in lexical, phonetic, and morphological features. In this linguistic area, there is a mutual influence of linguistic phenomena characteristic of closely related languages and dialects. Research on the Mordovian landscape of Prisurye makes it possible to reveal the ways in which possessiveness is expressed in mixed Erzya-Moksha dialects. Dialect data allow for the analysis of grammatical forms of nouns that express possessive relationships, establish equivalents for the variation of personal-possessive suffixes within case paradigms, and uncover certain morphological features specific to these dialects.

Conclusion. The means and forms of expressing possessiveness in the studied linguistic space are represented by a developed and diverse system. The conduct of the research has advanced our understanding of the specifics of the dialectal category of possession and made a certain contribution to the general theory of this phenomenon. We compare the recorded dialectal morphological markers of possession and their functioning in case paradigms and describe the features of morphosyntactic ways of expressing possessive relationships in the studied dialectal area.

Introduction. As of today, the grammatical and temporal semantics of the past tense verb forms in the Udmurt language, traditionally designated as “1^st past tense” and “2^nd past tense”, remain insufficiently studied in academic and scholarly literature. The main difference between these grammatical forms, according to the normative grammars of the Udmurt language, is the presence of an evidential seme in the 2^nd past tense. However, information on the nature of the flow of each of the two grammatical tenses, i.e. on the temporal semantics, is missing. The purpose of the research is to identify the meanings expressed by the synthetic forms of the past tense of the Udmurt verb, as well as to specify their similarities and differences.

Materials and Methods. The material for the study consisted of sentences from literary Udmurt texts, extracted from the National Corpus of the Udmurt language. More than 5,000 instances of verb usage in synthetic past tense forms were analyzed. The methodological framework of the study included the methods of continuous sampling, contextual analysis, typological, and descriptive approaches.

Results and Discussion. The paper presents, for the first time, an analysis of two synthetic forms of the past tense verb in the Udmurt language from the perspective of temporal and evidential semantics. The temporal semantics of the forms considered are identical: both can express perfect meanings (statal perfect, actional perfect, past with future meaning) as well as aorist meanings (indifferent past and narrative past). A distinctive feature of the Udmurt preterite is its ability to convey additional temporal meanings when combined with other grammatical categories of the Udmurt verb. Regarding evidential semantics, one form is evidentially neutral, while the other expresses the meaning of indirect evidentiality.

Conclusion. The forms we have examined can be identified as a preterite with fairly broad temporal functionality. From the perspective of evidential semantics, it is confirmed that the key difference between these two verb forms lies in the presence of an evidential seme in one of them. According to grammatical typology, the 1^st past tense can be designated as the indicative preterite, while the 2^nd past tense can be referred to as the evidential preterite. Further research into these grammatical forms and their inter-categorial relationships will significantly expand our understanding of the Udmurt verb tense system.

Introduction. Historically, Russian society has developed as a multiethnic one, and today its composition is undergoing changes largely driven by assimilation processes. In this context, the topic of ethnodemography is relevant yet underexplored. For a long time in the USSR, demographic data were classified, and later it was revealed that existing sources contain information on ethnodemographic processes only for certain years, with incomplete records. Therefore, researchers need to utilize additional information sources and interdisciplinary studies, which may help fill existing statistical gaps. The aim of this study is to analyze demographic processes among the Udmurts of the Kirov region from its formation until the collapse of the USSR.

Materials and Methods. The analysis was based on data from the All-Union Population Censuses of 1926, 1937, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, and 1989, as well as from the All-Russian Population Censuses of 2002, 2010, and 2020, along with data from the ongoing registration of natural population movement. Various research methods were employed during the study. General scientific methods of analysis, systematization, and synthesis allowed for the identification of major demographic changes among the Udmurts. Special historical methods, in particular the historical-comparative method, were used to correlate reproduction trends among the Udmurts and the regional population as a whole. The historical-genetic method helped define ethno-demographic trends, while the historical-systemic method was used in analyzing the characteristics of reproduction processes.

Results and Discussion. In the course of the research, the main ethnodemographic characteristics of the Udmurt people in the Kirov region during the Soviet period were identified. It was found that demographic changes followed all-Russian and regional trends; however, the Udmurts exhibited specific features in population reproduction and assimilation processes.

Conclusion. By the time the Kirov Region was established, the number and proportion of Udmurts within the region had significantly decreased, primarily due to administrative and territorial reforms. Overall, during the Soviet period, the Udmurt population in the region somewhat declined in absolute terms, though its proportion slightly increased. This was influenced by the completion of the demographic transition, assimilation processes, and active migration to urban areas. The composition of Udmurt families has gradually shifted, with an increasing number of ethnically mixed marriages. These processes contributed to changes in the demographic situation.

Introduction. The article presents, for the first time, a historical and demographic study of the marital status of the population of Udmurtia from 1989 to 2021. The relevance of the topic is due to its insufficient study and the need to understand the reasons behind the sharp decline in the Udmurt population over the last two inter-census periods. The aim of the research is to identify the characteristics of changes in the marital structure of the Udmurt population in the Udmurt Republic during the period from 1989 to 2021.

Materials and Methods. The methodological foundation of the study is based on general scientific methods such as analysis, comparison, induction, and deduction. The following specialized scientific methods were also applied: comparative-historical, chronological, and statistical. The source base includes both published and unpublished census materials.

Results and Discussion. After reaching its peak in 1989, the population of Udmurts, as well as the proportion of those who are married, began to decline. However, among the Udmurts, the latter indicator decreased less significantly compared to the entire population of Udmurtia. Despite the widespread increase in cohabitation, it is too early to speak of informal relationships replacing the institutions of marriage and family. Moreover, current trends indicate growing trust in official marriages. Since 2002, both the number and proportion of those who have never been married have decreased. Marriages among Udmurts were more stable, as evidenced by the lower proportion of divorces.

Conclusion. Compared to the overall population of Udmurtia, the marital status of the Udmurt people was characterized by a lower proportion of divorced individuals, the absence of cohabitation trends, and fewer instances of remarriage. Largely due to these factors, the birth rate among the Udmurt people is higher. However, certain factors, such as the increasing proportion of divorced/separated individuals and the growing number of widowed Udmurts, raise concerns, highlighting the need for improvements in state policy regarding family and marriage.

Introduction. Amid growing interest from the public and researchers in the pre-Christian, nature-centered beliefs of the peoples of the Volga region, issues related to the perception of natural landscapes and their use in ritual practices have gained renewed relevance. The study aims to propose key factors for the qualitative description of the sacred landscape of contemporary Mari communities: the degree of development, the orderliness of the locus, its mythological image, and its role in ritual practices. Based on these factors, the authors present their own typology of sacred toposes within Mari culture.

Materials and Methods. The article is based on the field materials of the Department of Ethnology (the Faculty of History of Lomonosov Moscow State University) in 1995, 2021-2023 and the Complex Expedition of the National Museum (the Republic of Mari El named after T. Evseev). The geography of research covers Mari El, Bashkortostan, and the Kirov region. The main methods are the collection of texts about the landscapes (folklore texts, interviews) and their narratological analysis, visual fixation of monuments.

Results and Discussion. As criteria for describing spaces the authors analyze their physical characteristics, the image in folklore, the practices and mythological characters associated with them, and the degree of anthropogenic influence. The ambivalent properties of sacred landscapes and the process of creating new sacred toposes are revealed in the article. The internal organization of sacred groves and their role in the religious life of local communities are described in detail. The authors identify five categories of spaces: sacred groves; unorganized sacred loci; symbolic burial sites of the Mari heroes; “bad places”; active and abandoned burial sites. At the same time, the researchers note the variability of natural landscape objects and the possibility of combining features of different types in one monument.

Conclusion. The conclusions made by the authors contribute to the development of ethnological research of Mari religious practices and mythological representations. The materials of the article can be useful in describing and systematizing the landscapes of traditional culture, in studying the interaction of people and nature within the framework of ritual actions.