Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/64506

Koryak and Itelmen have been considered, tentatively, to belong to the same genealogical group, the Chukchi-Kamchatkan language family. Previous studies have argued that the Koryak participle "verbal GE form" (Ɣe-/ Ɣa-) corresponds to the Itelmen participle "K--KNEN form" (k-..-knen/-knin/-knan). However, few studies have made this argument in detail. The present study clarifies the similarities and dissimilarities between the two forms from syntactic and morphological perspectives. The results of the comparison of the two forms are as follows: 1) Syntactically, both forms shares common features: both can be used as an attributive, a predicate in the main clause, or a complement. 2) Both forms show several morphological dissimilarities in number and person marking. Both also differ from each other in that the K--KNEN form is used for property predication while the verbal GE form is not, and in that the verbal GE form probably originated from the nominal GE form denoting possession, while the K--KNEN form cannot be traced back to the nominal origin. Underlying factors for the common syntactic functions shared by the two forms of different origins and morphologically different behaviors remain to be investigated in the future.