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6. Ad-subordinate Clauses with Postpositions

"Postpositions" are a heterogeneous group and their behaviour is not uniform. Some cleaning up of the classification seems to be needed. There are two patterns for attachment of the reflexive suffix.

6.1. The reflexive attaches directly to the postposition

Examples of this type should include talaar 'about', met 'like', šig 'like', tuxaj 'about', tusam 'the more', tutam 'the more', xürtel 'until', bolgon 'each', and zamd '(on the) way'.

(58)
(TsK)
bi 〖hödöo jav-san tuxai-gaa〗 temdeglel bič-sen. ⇪
1sg 〖countryside go.PST about.REFL〗 travelogue write.PST

I wrote a travelogue about my travel in the Mongolian countryside.

ᠪᠢ ᠰᠥᠳᠦᠭᠡ ᠶᠠᠪᠤᠭᠰᠠᠨ ᠲᠤᠬᠠᠢ ᠪᠠᠨ
ᠲᠡᠮᠳᠡᠭᠯᠡᠯ ᠪᠢᠴᠢᠭᠰᠡᠨ᠃

Би хөдөө явсан тухайгаа тэмдэглэл бичсэн.
(59)
(TsK)
ta 〖hödöo jav-san tal-aar-aa〗 jar'-aač. ⇪
2sg 〖countryside go.PST aspect.INST.REFL〗 speak.IMP

Tell us 〖about your travels in the countryside〗.

ᠲᠠ ᠬᠥᠳᠡᠭᠡ ᠶᠠᠪᠤᠭᠰᠠᠨ
ᠲᠠᠯᠠᠭᠠᠷ ᠵᠢᠠᠨ ᠶᠠᠷᠢᠭᠠᠴᠢ᠃

Та хөдөө явсан талаараа яриач.
(60)
(Bm)
〖ödör öngörö-x tusam〗 tüün-ij bij deer-ž baj-na. ⇪
〖day go-by.FUT as〗 3sg.GEN body improve.SIMUL be.PRS

〖The more days go by 〖 the more his body is improving〗.

ᠡᠳᠦᠷ ᠥᠩᠭᠡᠷᠡᠬᠦ ᠲᠤᠰᠤᠮ
ᠲᠡᠡᠭᠦᠨ ᠦ ᠪᠡᠶ᠎ᠡ ᠳᠡᠭᠡᠷᠡᠳᠡᠵᠦ ᠪᠠᠢᠨ᠎ᠠ᠃

Өдөр өнгөрөх тусам түүний бие дээрдэж байна.
(61)
tsaxilgaan xeregsel 〖šin zagvar-yn-x baj-x tusm-aa〗 erčim xüč baga xeregle-deg. ⇪
electrical appliance 〖new model.GEN.3POSS be.FUT as.REFL〗 power small use.HAB

〖The newer the model 〗 the less power an electrical appliance uses.

ᠴᠠᠬᠢᠯᠭᠠᠨ ᠬᠡᠷᠡᠭᠰᠡᠯ ᠰᠢᠨ᠎ᠡ ᠵᠠᠭᠪᠤᠷ ᠦᠨ ᠬᠢ
ᠪᠠᠢᠬᠤ ᠲᠤᠰᠤᠮ ᠵᠢᠠᠨ ᠡᠷᠴᠢᠮ ᠬᠦᠴᠦ ᠪᠠᠭ᠎ᠠ
ᠬᠡᠷᠡᠭᠯᠡᠳᠡᠭ᠃

Цахилгаан хэрэгсэл шинэ загварынх байх тусмаа эрчим хүч бага хэрэглэдэг.

6.2 The reflexive suffix attaches to the verb form preceding the postposition

The verb form commonly carries the Genitive or Ablative endings. These appear to include xojš 'after', busad 'other', ömnö 'before', gadna 'except', esreg 'against, opposite', tölöö 'for (the sake of)', daraa 'after', daguu 'according to', and zereg 'SIMULultaneous'.

(62)
(UCh)
〖tan-yg ir-ex-ijn〗 ömnö Bolormaa Amerikt očson. ⇪
〖2sg.ACC come.VN.GEN〗 before Bolormaa America.DAT go.PST

Before you came Bolormaa went to America.

ᠲᠠᠨ ᠢ ᠢᠷᠡᠬᠦ ᠦᠨ ᠡᠮᠦᠨᠡ ᠪᠣᠯᠤᠷᠮ᠎ᠠ
ᠠᠮᠡᠷᠢᠻᠠ ᠲᠤ ᠣᠴᠢᠭᠰᠠᠨ᠃

Tаныг ирэхийн өмнө Болормаа Америкт очсон.
(63)
bid nar 〖Mongol uls-ad ir-ex-ijn-xee〗 ömnö tan-aj orn-y tuxaj maš baga medeelel-tej baj-san. ⇪
1PL 〖Mongolia.DAT come.GEN.REFL〗 before 2pl.GEN country.GEN about much little information.COM be.PST

〖Before we came to Mongolia〗 we had very little knowledge of your country.

ᠪᠢᠳᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠ ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ ᠳᠦ
ᠢᠷᠡᠬᠦ ᠵᠢᠨ ᠵᠢᠠᠨ ᠡᠮᠦᠨ᠎ᠡ ᠲᠠᠨᠠᠢ ᠣᠷᠤᠨ ᠦ
ᠲᠤᠬᠠᠢ ᠮᠠᠰᠢ ᠪᠠᠭ᠎ᠠ ᠮᠡᠳᠡᠭᠡᠯᠡᠯ ᠲᠡᠡᠢ
ᠪᠠᠢᠭᠰᠠᠨ᠃

Бид нар Монгол Улсад ирэхийнхээ өмнө танай орны тухай маш бага мэдээлэлтэй байсан.

The behaviour of these postpositions is idiosyncratic. While ömnö 'before' almost always requires the use of reflexives, daraa may be found with or without, regardless of SR. Others never occur with the reflexive.

(64)
ta 〖xool id-sen-ij / id-sen-ij-xee daraa〗 zuragt üz-deg uu? ⇪
2sg 〖meal eat.PST.GEN / eat.PST.GEN.REFL after 〗 TV watch.HAB Q?

Do you watch TV 〖after you have dinner〗?

ᠲᠠ ᠬᠣᠭᠣᠯᠠ ᠢᠳᠡᠭᠰᠡᠨ ᠵᠢᠨ /
ᠢᠳᠡᠭᠰᠡᠨ ᠵᠢᠨ ᠵᠢᠠᠨ ᠳᠠᠷᠠᠭ᠎ᠠ
ᠵᠢᠷᠤᠭᠲᠤ ᠦᠵᠡᠳᠡᠭ ᠦᠦ?

Tа хоол идсэний / идсэнийхээ дараа зурагт үздэг үү?

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