Re: Slavs

Torsten,

I wonder if these constructions are not a result of the differences in interpreting 'have'.

English 'I have a book' can mean

'I possess/own a book'

but also

''The book is with me". ('I have the book that belongs to him.')

Of course, one says: "Possession is nine-tenths of the law."

Patrick

----- Original Message -----

From: tgpedersen

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 4:03 AM

Subject: [tied] Re: Slavs

Also from
Gyula Décsy
The Uralic Protolanguage:

"
5.4.1 Habeo-replacement which has the following formula: Subject in an
oblique case + existence verb (missing in Proto-Uralic) in 3rd person
+ Object in nominative with personal suffix. The oblique case for the
subject is generally one of the latives (or, genitive, coming from an
earlier lative). The expression 'I have a book' appears, e.g., in the
following forms in the single languages (the word order may be
occasionally different):

xxxxxxxxx to me/at me is (my) book
Hungarian nekem (dative) van könyvem
Finnish minulla (adessive) on kirja (no poss. ending)
Lapp must læ girje (no poss. ending)
Cheremis myjyn (genitive) ulo knigam
Mordvin monj (genitive) uli kniga (no poss. ending)
Ziryan menam em kniga (no poss. ending)
Votyak munam vanj knigaje

Note that the Obugric languages possess a habeo- verb, therefore the
phrase in Vogul is am kniiga oonjsheghm. The Russian construction u
menja jestj is a verbatim correspondence of Finnish minulla on..., and
is, probably, its loan translation (VEENKER 1967.118-119) .
"

Cf
http://www2. ku.edu/~slavic/ bss99-greenbergm .html

Torsten