Expressing equality, similarity, and pretense in Even (Northern Tungusic, Siberia)

Abstract

In recent decades, considerable work has been done on the cross-linguistic comparison of comparatives, superlatives, and to a lesser extent, equatives, while similatives remain largely understudied. As pointed out by Haspelmath (2017), this is largely due to the lack of descriptions of similative constructions in reference grammars. Providing first-hand data on similatives and related constructions in non-European languages can therefore still fill important gaps in our knowledge of this linguistic domain. In Even, a North Tungusic language spoken in northeastern Siberia, a large domain of equality of gradable properties, similarity of manner, and similarity of actions and states are expressed by a Similative suffix and/or relational noun. In addition, there is a dedicated marker that expresses equality of measurable properties.