8. Subordinating Converbs

Converbs are conventionally divided into coordinating and subordinating. Coordinating converbs are dealt with below.

Janhunen (2012) defines the converb as "a non-finite verbal form that modifies a following verbal in the capacity of an adverbial". Subordinating converbs are thus ad-subordinating in nature. Tserenpil-Kullmann call them sVDS (subordinating Verb Determining Suffixes).

The set of subordinating converbs is not uniformly defined and varies according to the dialect. The following is based on Tserenpil-Kullmann and Janhunen.

One difficulty with these converbs is that they do not exhibit uniform behaviour, complicating grammatical description. Here I will attempt to consider their behaviour from the point of view of SR (same subject/different subject) and differential subject marking.

From the point of view of SR, subordinating converbs or sVDS that occur in normative Khalkha can be divided into three groups:

a) Those which indicate 'different subject' if unmarked but indicate 'same subject' with the addition of the reflexive suffix. This conforms with SR as found in other types of subordinate clause. Differential subject marking applies. The group includes the following suffixes:

'Same subject' or 'different subject'
Converb	REFL	Characterisation
-xlaar4	-aa4	Logically Succeeding
-tal4	-aa4	Limiting
-nguut2	-aa2	Succeeding
-magts4	-aa4	Immediately Succeeding

᠊ᠬᠤᠯᠠᠷ᠂
᠊ᠬᠦᠯᠡᠷ

-хлаар, -хлээр, -хлоор, -хлөөр

᠊᠊ᠲᠠᠯ᠎ᠠ᠂
᠊ᠲᠡᠯ᠎ᠡ

-тал, -тэл, -тол, -тэл

᠊ᠨᠭᠤᠲᠠ᠂
᠊ᠩᠭᠦᠲᠡ

-нгуут, -нгүүт

᠊ᠮᠠᠭᠴᠠ᠂
᠊ᠮᠡᠭᠴᠡ

-магц, -мэгц, -могц, -мөгц

b) Those which may be used for either 'different subject' or 'same subject' but do not mark this distinction with the reflexive. This differs from SR as found in other types of subordinate clause.

Poppe treated these as "pseudo-converbs" because in the literary language the subject of the clause took only the Nominative case (no differential subject marking). However, both now feature differential subject marking (Nominative-Accusative).

'Same subject' or 'different subject'
Converb	REFL	Characterisation
-val4/-bal4	-	Conditional
-vč	-	Concessive

᠊ᠪᠠᠯ᠂
᠊ᠪᠡᠯ

-бал, -бэл, -бол, -бөл, -вал, -вэл, -вол, -вөл

᠊᠊ᠪᠠᠴᠤ᠂
᠊ᠪᠡᠡᠴᠦ

-вч

c) Those which stipulate 'same subject' only. There is no differential subject marking. These include:

'Same subject' only
Converb	REFL	Characterisation	Notes
-ngaa4	(included)	Seizing an Opportunity	There is no corresponding non-reflexive form.
-saar4	-	Progressive	This form is transitional between coordinating and subordinating.
-maažin4	-	Excluding	Uncommon in Khalkh.

᠊ᠩᠭ᠎ᠠ ᠪᠠᠨ᠂
᠊ᠩᠭᠡ ᠪᠡ

-нгаа, -нгээ, -нгоо, -нгөө

᠊᠊ᠭᠰᠠᠭᠠᠷ᠂
᠊ᠭᠰᠡᠭᠡᠷ

-саар, -сээр, -соор, -сөөр

᠊᠊ᠮᠠᠨᠵᠢᠨ᠂
᠊ᠮᠡᠨᠵᠢᠨ

-маажин, -мээжин, -моожин, -мөөжин

This group contains two exceptional forms: one that lacks a non-reflexive equivalent (-ngaa⁴), and one that appears to be transitional with coordinating converbs (-saar⁴).

Examples of group a

The following example using -nguut², illustrates 'different subject' marked by: differential subject marking, lack of reflexive suffix, and possessive particle. (Note that the reflexive suffix also attaches to the subject of the subordinate clause, indicating a relationship with the subject of the main clause, a phenomenon which will not be covered here.)

ᠠᠪᠤ ᠵᠢ ᠵᠢᠠᠨ ᠢᠷᠡᠩᠭᠦᠲᠡ
ᠨᠢ ᠡᠨᠡ ᠪᠢᠴᠢᠭ᠌ ᠢ ᠥᠭᠭᠦᠭᠡᠷᠡᠢ᠃

Аавыгаа ирэнгүүт нь энэ бичгийг өгөөрэй.

The same converb with 'same subject':

ᠲᠡᠭᠦᠨ ᠡᠴᠡ ᠭᠠᠳᠠᠨ᠎ᠠ ᠰᠢᠨ᠎ᠡ ᠠᠪᠤ
ᠭᠡᠷ ᠲᠤ ᠢᠷᠡᠩᠭᠦᠲᠡ ᠪᠡᠨ ᠰᠢᠭᠤᠳ
ᠭᠡᠷ ᠦᠨ ᠡᠵᠡᠨ ᠰᠢᠭ ᠵᠠᠩᠨᠠᠵᠤ
ᠪᠣᠯᠤᠬᠤ ᠦᠭᠡᠢ ᠭᠡᠨ᠎ᠡ᠃

Түүнээс гадна шинэ аав гэрт ирэнгүүтээ шууд гэрийн эзэн шиг загнаж болохгүй гэнэ.

-megc⁴ with 'same subject':

ᠪᠢᠳᠡ ᠫᠠᠷᠢᠰ ᠲᠤ ᠢᠷᠡᠮᠡᠭᠴᠡ ᠪᠡᠨ
ᠰᠢᠭᠤᠳ ᠯᠠ ᠲ᠌ᠧᠷᠷᠠᠰᠰᠧ
ᠳᠡᠭᠡᠷ᠎ᠡ ᠦᠳᠡ ᠵᠢᠨ ᠵᠣᠭᠤᠭ
ᠪᠠᠷᠢᠭᠰᠠᠨ᠃

Бид Парист ирмэгцээ шууд л террассе дээр үдийн зоог барьсан.

-xlaar⁴ with 'different subject':

ᠨᠠᠮᠠᠶᠢ ᠬᠥᠳᠦᠭᠡ ᠶᠠᠪᠤᠬᠤᠯᠠᠷ ᠮᠢᠨᠦ
ᠮᠠᠱᠢᠨ ᠢ ᠬᠡᠷᠡᠭᠯᠡᠭᠡᠷᠡᠢ᠃

Намайг хөдөө явахлаар миний машиныг хэрэглээрэй.

-xlaar⁴ with 'same subject':

ᠪᠢ ᠬᠥᠳᠦᠭᠡ ᠶᠠᠪᠤᠬᠤᠯᠠᠷ ᠪᠠᠨ
ᠲᠠᠨ ᠤ ᠮᠠᠱᠢᠨ ᠢ ᠠᠪᠤᠨ᠎ᠠ᠃

Би хөдөө явахлаараа таны машиныг авна.

Examples of group b

-bal⁴, -val⁴ with 'different subject':

ᠠᠪᠤ ᠵᠢ ᠢᠷᠡᠪᠡᠯ
ᠪᠢᠳᠡ ᠬᠠᠮᠲᠤ ᠬᠣᠭᠣᠯᠠ ᠢᠳᠡᠨ᠎ᠡ᠃

Аавыг ирвэл бид хамт хоол иднэ.

-bal⁴, -val⁴ with 'same subject'. There is no explicit marking of 'same subject' but it is suggested by the lack of a subject in the subordinate clause:

ᠪᠢ ᠲᠠᠨᠠᠢ ᠳᠦ ᠮᠥᠩᠭᠦ ᠬᠠᠳᠠᠭᠠᠯᠠᠭᠤᠯᠪᠠᠯ
ᠬᠡᠴᠢᠨᠡᠨ ᠬᠦᠦ ᠠᠪᠬᠤ ᠪᠤᠢ᠃

Би танайд мөнгө хадгалуулбал хичнээн хүү авах вэ?

Examples of group c

The subject of the main clause is bid 'we'. There is no non-reflexive form of üzen-gee.

〖Friends ᠦᠵᠡᠨᠭᠡ ᠪᠠᠨ〗 ᠠᠩᠭᠯᠢ
ᠬᠡᠯᠡ ᠰᠤᠷᠴᠠᠭᠠᠶ᠎ᠠ!

Friends үзэнгээ англи хэл сурцгаая!

---

Sorry, I'm now using Disqus for comments. If you'd prefer not to use Disqus, please send me an email and I'll list your comments separately. Thanks!