5. SR in Ad-subordinate (Adverbial) Clauses

In addition to functioning as direct daughters, subordinate clauses ending in case suffixes may also function as sentence adverbials (ad-subordinate clauses).

Such case endings have a strong tendency to be used with particular meanings. Tserenpil & Kullmann place them along with a ragbag group of collocations in a category called "Subordinating Conjunctions".

Janhunen (2012) more systematically classes them as 'quasiconverbs', analogous to converbs proper (see below), with the functions given in the following table:

Janhunen notes that it is not possible to treat -aad⁴ as a converb of time since it has the same form as -aad⁴, which is a coordinating converb ☟. By implication -aadaa is also not possible since coordinating converbs do not take the reflexive suffix.

5.1. Verbal noun + Dative-locative

5.1.1 Temporal sense

Of the 'quasiconverbs', by far the commonest is the Dative-locative, particularly the form -xad⁴/-xdaa⁴ (Futuritive + Dative-locative), which is commonly used in situations where English would use 'when'.

In the following example, the subject of the subordinate clause (bid ‘we’) differs from that of the main clause (aav ‘father’). As a consequence, there is no reflexive suffix on the Dative-locative ending. (The Accusative ending on bid ‘we’ is due to differential subject marking and also indicates 'different subject'.)

In the following sentence, the reflexive indicates that the subject of the main clause and that of the subordinate clause are identical. The subject is thus not expressed in the subordinate clause.

In the next example, the subject of the subordinate clause is a person, and is different from that of the main clause (tenger 'sky'); hence the use of the possessive particle n' in the subordinate clause.

5.1.2. Other uses of Verbal Noun + Dative-locative

The classification of Dative-locative forms as 'quasiconverbs' of time fails to capture their full range of uses. This is covered at an earlier post on subordinate Dative/locative clauses.

5.1.2.1. 'Hard/easy to', 'good/bad at', 'good/bad for'

One usage concerns the concept of difficulty of, adeptness at, or suitability for a certain activity. The following example is a saying. As a set piece not referring to any particular person, it does not use the reflexive.

The reflexive can occur when the subject of the subordinate clause is the same as that of the main clause.

5.1.2.2. Causation

The past tense + Dative-locative can be used in the sense of causation.

This is common in set expressions of gratitude, which by definition involve a different subject.

This format probably derives from the fact that the verb bayarlax 'be happy (at)' requires the dative. (Tan-y is Genitive as the subject of a subordinate clause ending in a verbal noun.)

A similar example involves the expression -sandaa⁴ bolood, a fixed expression for 'due to one's actions', often found in ajsandaa bolood 'out of fear'. In this expression it always occurs with the reflexive because the sense is 'out of one's own fear'. Bolox means 'to become'.

While Janhunen notes that -aad⁴ is not possible as a converb of time, this restriction does not apply where it indicates a cause, as seen in the following sentence:

5.2. Verbal Noun + Ablative

The Ablative is used to indicate cause, although less systematically than the use of the Dative-locative to indicate time. It is often found with the verb bajx 'to be'.

However, the reflexive form bajgaas-aa is far more likely to be used in a comparative construction.

More common is the use of the Ablative in the expression aj-sn-aa-saa bol-ž 'out of (one's) fear'. The following example has no explicit subject in either main or subordinate clause but refers to the same entity:

5.3 Verbal Noun + Instrumental

This construction is used in the meaning 'by way of'. The following is an example using the reflexive. There is no explicit subject in either clause, but the implication is that the person looking after handicapped citizens is the one seeking some kind of benefit from the government.