Typological features of Shor equative and similative constructions

Abstract

Equative constructions state that the object compared and the standard of comparison possess the same quality to the same degree (She is as tall as her father). In contrast, similative ones presuppose that the action is processed in the same manner (She sings like her mother). Such comparative constructions of equality have not been studied sufficiently in the typological aspect. Research on such constructions in a language allows for delineating their universal and individual features. This paper deals with equality constructions in Shor, an indigenous Turkic language spoken in South Siberia, Russian Federation. The author describes the morphological means expressing comparative semantics of equality in Shor, the structural and semantic types of such comparative constructions, distinguishing their equative and simulative semantic and structural types, as well as quantitative and qualitative ones. Also, generalized equality constructions are considered. The descriptive framework and terminology of Martin Haspelmath and Oda Buchholz are used to describe the typological properties of Shor equality constructions. This research has shown Shor to preserve ancient synthetic equality markers. They can be classified into quantitative and qualitative ones, although this distinction is present only in equative constructions. These markers are gradually replaced by newly coined analytical markers that are much more specialized and can be used only in equative or simulative constructions and express either qualitative or quantitative semantics. Interestingly, simulative constructions can also be of the quantitative semantic type that Martin Haspelmath and Oda Buchholz consider very uncommon.