| Dataset description
This dataset contains annotated examples of ingestion verbs and their causative and passive derivatives in the two Mordvinic languages, Erzya (E) and Moksha (M) (Uralic). The data were extracted from two corpora featuring the literary languages. The ERME corpus was used to retrieve the basic ingestion verbs and the more extensive MokshEr corpus was used to retrieve the causative and passive forms of these verbs with regular expressions. The dataset provides an analysis of the argument structure of these verbs, including the indexation and the case marking of their arguments. The annotation was made manually by the author. The annotated verbs are E ярсамс ‘to eat’ (intransitive), сэвемс ‘to eat’ (transitive), андомс ‘to feed’, ярсавомс ‘to be eaten, to eat their fill’ (passive), сэвевемс ‘to be eaten’ (passive), симдемс ‘to give drink’ and симевемс ‘to be drunk, to get drunk’ (passive) and M ярхцамс ‘to eat’ (intransitive), сивомс ‘to eat’ (transitive), андомс ‘to feed’, ярхцсавомс ‘to be eaten, to eat their fill’ (passive), сивовомс ‘to be eaten’ (passive), симдемс ‘to give drink’ and симевомс ‘to be drunk, to get drunk’ (passive). The dataset is intended for research on the argument structure and the lexical semantics of the Mordvinic ingestion verbs, with a particular focus on the differences of the intransitive and transitive verbs meaning ‘to eat’. (2026-07-15)
Abstract of the related article
This paper explores the functions of the ablative case with verbs expressing ‘eating’ and ‘drinking’ in the Mordvinic languages, Erzya and Moksha. Previous research viewed the ablative case as a case for direct objects that is used with one semantic group of verbs, particularly with verbs of ingestion. In this study, I delve into this question and compare the features of ablative-marked arguments with direct objects in order to categorize direct objects further. This study utilizes empirical material collected from two corpora featuring texts in the modern literary languages. The findings indicate that Mordvinic languages have two verbs expressing ‘eating’ and these verbs differ from each other regarding their transitivity. Only the intransitive verb can take the ablative-marked argument. Moreover, the ablative-marked argument is different from other direct objects, as it can be used with passivized verbs and can cooccur with another direct object in causative constructions. Consequently, I contend that the ablative case is not a case for objects within the Mordvinic branch, but it marks an optional oblique argument. (2026-08-04) |
