Votian/Imperative

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Votian Imperative ^[1] ^[2]

Morphemes

Person	Singular	Plural
1.	Analytic only	-kama
2.	-k	-ka'a
3.	-ko'on	-ko'ot

The first person of singular has only analytic imperative both in Ingria and Estonia.
The first person of plural uses usually present tense instead of imperative both in Ingria and Estonia.
- Analytic expressions are also possible.
- The morpheme -kama ocurres in Alutaguse runic songs and is often written as -kamme or -gamme e.g. laulagamme ('Let us sing!') ^[3] ^[4], but the orthography of those texts is not reliable. So we can not be sure, how it was pronounced by native speakers.
  - The vowel a alternates with ä in Lüganuse (and Kodavere) according to vowel harmony rules ^[5] e.g. jättäGä ('Leave (it)!').
See the previous lesson for the second person imperatives.
Morpheme -ko'ot of the third person of plural:
- Pronunciation of Jõgõperä dialect
  - depends in consonant gradation of suffixes ^[6]
    - -gōD after unstressed syllables of vowel stems e.g. tširjotte̮gōD ('Let them write!').
    - otherwise it is pronounced -kōD e.g. e̮лkōD ('Let them be!').
  - The vowel of this suffix remains always the same regardless to vowel harmony rules ^[7] ^[8] e.g. jättägōD ('Let them leave (it)!').
- In all the other dialects it is not distinguishable from the singular suffix -ko'on.
Morpheme -ko'on of the third person of singular:
- Pronunciation of Ingria
  - depends in consonant gradation of suffixes ^[9]
    - -gō after unstressed syllables of vowel stems e.g. tširjottagō ('Let him write!').
    - otherwise it is pronounced -kō e.g. e̮лkō ('Let him be!').
  - The vowel of this suffix remains always the same regardless to vowel harmony rules ^[10] ^[11] e.g. jättägō ('Let him leave (it)!').
- Lüganuse dialect of Alutaguse
  - All the long vowels without primary stress have been shortened (influenced by Mid Estonian dialect) e.g. tehko ('Let him do!').
  - The counterpart of g is semi-voiced G e.g. anDaGo ('Let him give!').
  - G has finally replaced even k in voiced environment (influenced by Mid Estonian dialect) e.g. süöGo ('Let him eat!') ^[12].

Morphophonology

In all dialects both in Ingria and Estonia:

Singular of the second person imperative never follows any consonant stem e.g. e̮лe̮G ~ e̮лe̮ ('Be!').
All the other imperative suffixes take a consonant stem if possible e.g. e̮лkōD ('Let them be!' in Jõgõperä dialect).

Singular of the second person imperative is always in a grade opposite to any other suffixal imperative form caused by consonant gradation in stems e.g. jättägō ('Let him leave (it)!') vs. jätä ('Leave (it)!').

Phonological history

Singular of the 3. person's imperative -ko'on (< -*kohen < ? -*kaihen) is probably composed of imperative component -k + 3. person's singular hen ^[13].

Vowels of the subsequent syllables have been assimilated -kohon.
h was lost.
o of subsequent syllables melt into ō.
The final n melt into ō.
Long vowels disappeared in the dialects of Estonia.

The final t of the third person of plural -ko'ot ( < ? -*kaihet) comes from plural nominative and has been preserved in some other Finnic dialects too e.g. in neighbouring Kudruküla dialect of Vaivara kuolekot ('Let them die!') ^[14] .
Plural of the 1. person's imperative is probably composed of imperative component -k + plural 1. person's ma like it's counterpart of the second person.

Other Finnic dialects ^[15]

The third person of singular

Standard Finnish : luke-koon ('Let him read!')
Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : luge-kkah ('Let him read!')
Vepsian dialects : luge-gaha ('Let him read!')
Ingrian dialects : luGe-Gā(n) ('Let him read!')
Standard Estonian : luge-gu ('Let him read!')
Livonian dialects : las lu ̉ggə̑-G ('Let him read!')

The third person of plural

Standard Finnish : luke-koot (~ luke-kaat in some dialects) ('Let them read!')
Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : luge-kkah ('Let them read!')
Vepsian dialects : luge-gaha ('Let them read!')
Ingrian dialects : luGe-Gasse(G)) ('Let them read!')
Standard Estonian : luge-gu ('Let them read!')
Livonian dialects : lu ̉ggə̑-gə̑D ('Let them read!')

The first person of plural

Standard Finnish : luke-kaamme ('Let us read!')
Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : paŋ-gama ('Let us put (something somewhere)!')
Vepsian dialects : luge-gam ('Let us read!')
Standard Estonian : luge-gem ('Let us read!')
Livonian dialects : las lu ̉ggə̑-gə̑D ('Let us read!')

References

↑ Ariste, Paul Vadja keele grammatika. Tartu, 1948. p. 81
↑ Laanest, Arvo: Sissejuhatus läänemeresoome keeltesse, Tallinn 1975. p.173
↑ Must, Mari 1987. Kirderannikumurre: häälikuline ja grammatiline ülevaade. p. 255
↑ Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, Haho, 98; (in Estonian Literary Museum)
↑ Must, Mari 1987. Kirderannikumurre: häälikuline ja grammatiline ülevaade. p. 135, 255
↑ Ariste, Paul Vadja keele grammatika. Tartu, 1948. p. 19
↑ Ariste, Paul Vadja keele grammatika. Tartu, 1948. p. 81
↑ Ariste, Paul Vadja keele grammatika. Tartu, 1948. p. 8
↑ Ariste, Paul Vadja keele grammatika. Tartu, 1948. p. 19
↑ Ariste, Paul Vadja keele grammatika. Tartu, 1948. p. 81
↑ Ariste, Paul Vadja keele grammatika. Tartu, 1948. p. 8
↑ Must, Mari 1987. Kirderannikumurre: häälikuline ja grammatiline ülevaade. p. 256
↑ Laanest, Arvo: Sissejuhatus läänemeresoome keeltesse, Tallinn 1975. p.154
↑ Must, Mari 1987. Kirderannikumurre: häälikuline ja grammatiline ülevaade. p. 256
↑ Laanest, Arvo: Sissejuhatus läänemeresoome keeltesse, Tallinn 1975. p.154

Votian Imperative [1] [2]