UNIQUE FEATURES OF THE NOMINAL MORPHOLOGICAL SYSTEMS IN THE EASTERN DIALECTS OF KHANTY

This paper presents results of a study aiming at identifying unique features in the system of morphological markers of the noun in four idioms of Eastern Khanty (Vakh, Vasyugan, Surgut and Salym). The analysis focuses on the paradigms of three nominal categories: number, possession, and case. It draws on the linguistic data obtained from various grammars of Khanty written over the period from the nineteenth century to the present time. The analysis also incorporates the field data obtained during research trips to the speakers of the Vakh-Vasyugan idiom. The findings point to the fact that the differences are either morphological or phonological, and are sometimes of debatable nature.