A grammar of Pite Saami, 2014

11.3 Adjectival phrases
11.2.1 NPs in adverbial function
Nominal phrases, particularly when referring to time or place, and thus inflected
for one of the locative cases (illative, inessive or elative), are often used as temporal
or locational adverbials, as in giesen ‘in summer’ in (24), and in hiejman ‘at
home’ in (25), respectively. Furthermore, the word vahkov ‘week’ in (25) shows
that an accusative NP can function as a temporal adverbial indicating a period
of time.
(24) men jáhkav
men jáhka-v
minniv
minni-v
giesen
[giese-n] N P
but believe-1sg.prs go-1sg.pst summer-iness.sg
‘I believe I went in the summer.’ [pit100404.163]
(25) ja
ja
Henning
[Henning] N P 1
and Henning\nom.sg
lij
li-j
jou
jou
hiejman
[hiejma-n] N P 2
be-3sg.pst well home-iness.sg
vahkov
[vahko-v] N P 3
week-acc.sg
‘And Henning had been home for a week.’
urrum
urru-m
be-prf
[pit090702.285]
Finally, the deverbal noun diedon literally translates as ‘in knowledge’, and can
be used as a modal adverbial meaning ‘of course’, as in (26).
(26) etja diedon
ednen mielkev ja
[etj-a] N P 1 [died-o-n] N P 2 edne-n [mielke-v] N P 3 ja
self-nom.pl know-nmlz1-iness.sg have-3pl.pst milk-acc.sg and
vuostav
[vuosta-v] N P 4
cheese-acc.sg
‘They themselves of course had milk and cheese.’
[pit080708_Session02.034]
11.3 Adjectival phrases
Adjectival phrases (abbreviated ‘AP’) in Pite Saami are divided into three groups
based on the type of adjective required as head:
• attributive APs (headed by attributive adjectives)
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