View source for Erzya language

{{Short description|Uralic language spoken in Russia}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Erzya
| nativename       = {{lang|myv|эрзянь кель}} {{transliteration|myv|eŕźań keĺ}}
| altname          = Erzyan
| states           = [[Russia]]
| region           = [[Mordovia]], [[Nizhny Novgorod Oblast|Nizhny Novgorod]], [[Chuvashia Republic|Chuvashia]], [[Ulyanovsk Oblast|Ulyanovsk]], [[Samara Oblast|Samara]], [[Penza Oblast|Penza]], [[Saratov Oblast|Saratov]], [[Orenburg Oblast|Orenburg]], [[Tatarstan]], [[Bashkortostan]]
| ethnicity        = 610,000 [[Erzyas]] (553,000 in Russia, 2010 census)
| speakers         = {{sigfig|46,241|2}}
| date             = 2020 census
| ref              = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Итоги Всероссийской переписи населения 2020 года. Таблица 6. Население по родному языку. |trans-title=Results of the All-Russian population census 2020. Table 6. population according to native language. |url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/vpn_popul |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=rosstat.gov.ru |archive-date=2020-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124160257/http://rosstat.gov.ru/vpn_popul |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| familycolor      = Uralic
| fam2             = [[Mordvinic languages|Mordvinic]]
| nation           = {{flag|Mordovia}} (Russia)
| iso2             = myv
| iso3             = myv
| glotto           = erzy1239
| glottorefname    = Erzya
| script           = [[Cyrillic]]
| notice           = IPA
| map              = 3-Mordvin.png
| mapcaption       = Mordvin languages at the beginning of the 20th century<ref name=map1>{{Cite journal |last1=Rantanen |first1=Timo |last2=Tolvanen |first2=Harri |last3=Roose |first3=Meeli |last4=Ylikoski |first4=Jussi |last5=Vesakoski |first5=Outi |date=2022-06-08 |title=Best practices for spatial language data harmonization, sharing and map creation—A case study of Uralic |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=17 |issue=6 |pages=e0269648 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0269648|doi-access=free |pmid=35675367 |pmc=9176854 |bibcode=2022PLoSO..1769648R }}</ref><ref name=map2>Rantanen, Timo, Vesakoski, Outi, Ylikoski, Jussi, & Tolvanen, Harri. (2021). ''Geographical database of the Uralic languages'' (v1.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4784188</ref>
| map2             = Lang Status 60-DE.svg
| mapcaption2      = {{center|{{small|Erzya is classified as Definitely Endangered by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]'' (2010)}}}}
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|[ˈerʲzʲanʲ ˈkʲelʲ]}}
}}
[[File:Erzya Flag.svg|thumb|Erzya flag]]
The '''Erzya language''' ({{lang|myv|эрзянь кель}}, {{transliteration|myv|eŕźań keĺ}}, {{IPA|myv|ˈerʲzʲanʲ ˈkʲelʲ|pron}}), also '''Erzian''' or historically '''Arisa''', is spoken by approximately 300,000 people in the northern, eastern and north-western parts of the Republic of [[Mordovia]] and adjacent regions of [[Nizhny Novgorod Oblast|Nizhny Novgorod]], [[Chuvashia]], [[Penza Oblast|Penza]], [[Samara Oblast|Samara]], [[Saratov Oblast|Saratov]], [[Orenburg Oblast|Orenburg]], [[Ulyanovsk Oblast|Ulyanovsk]], [[Tatarstan]] and [[Bashkortostan]] in [[Russia]]. A [[diaspora]] can also be found in [[Armenia]] and [[Estonia]], as well as in [[Kazakhstan]] and other states of [[Central Asia]]. Erzya is currently written using [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic]] with no modifications to the variant used by the Russian language. In Mordovia, Erzya is co-official with [[Moksha language|Moksha]] and Russian.

The language belongs to the [[Mordvinic languages|Mordvinic]] branch of the [[Uralic languages]]. Erzya is a language that is closely related to [[Moksha language|Moksha]] but has distinct phonetics, morphology and vocabulary.

== Phonology ==

=== Consonants ===
The following table lists the consonant phonemes of Erzya together with their [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic]] equivalents.<ref name=Saarinen>{{cite web |last=Saarinen |first=Sirkka |title=Erzya e-learning course |url=https://www.infuse.finnougristik.uni-muenchen.de/e-learning/mordvin/o3_erzya.pdf |publisher=Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München |access-date=2019-03-05}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" | [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Postalveolar consonant|(Palato-]])[[Postalveolar consonant|<br />alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
|-
! <small>plain</small>
! <small>[[Palatalization (phonetics)|pal.]]</small>
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPAslink|m}} м
| {{IPAslink|n}} н 
| {{IPAslink|nʲ}} нь
|
| {{IPAslink|ŋ}} н
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Plosive]]
! <small>[[voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
| {{IPAslink|p}} п
| {{IPAslink|t}} т
| {{IPAslink|tʲ}} ть
|
| {{IPAslink|k}} к
|-
! <small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
| {{IPAslink|b}} б
| {{IPAslink|d}} д
| {{IPAslink|dʲ}} дь
|
| {{IPAslink|ɡ}} г
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Affricate]]
|
| {{IPAslink|t͡s}} ц
| {{IPAslink|t͡sʲ}} ць
| {{IPAslink|t͡ʃ}} ч
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
! <small>voiceless</small>
| ({{IPAslink|f}} ф)
| {{IPAslink|s}} с
| {{IPAslink|sʲ}} сь
| {{IPAslink|ʃ}} ш
| ({{IPAslink|x}} х)
|-
! <small>voiced</small>
| {{IPAslink|v}} в
| {{IPAslink|z}} з
| {{IPAslink|zʲ}} зь
| {{IPAslink|ʒ}} ж
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
| {{IPAslink|r}} р
| {{IPAslink|rʲ}} рь
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
|
| {{IPAslink|l}} л
| {{IPAslink|lʲ}} ль
| {{IPAslink|j}} й
|
|}

[[Palatalization (phonetics)|Palatalization]] is widespread in Erzya, but is contrastive only for the alveolar consonants. The labial and velar consonants have palatalized [[allophone]]s before the front vowels {{IPA|/i/}}, {{IPA|/e/}}. The pairs {{IPA|/t/}} – {{IPA|/tʲ/}}, {{IPA|/d/}} – {{IPA|/dʲ/}} and {{IPA|/n/}} – {{IPA|/nʲ/}} also often alternate depending on a following or preceding back vs. front vowel. E.g. the 1st person singular [[possessive suffix]] has [[allomorph]]s such as {{IPA|/-enʲ/}} and {{IPA|/-on/}}. The palatalized consonants can natively occur also in a back vowel environment, e.g. the genitive suffix {{IPA|/-nʲ/}}, providing [[minimal pair]]s such as {{lang|myv|кудон}} {{IPA|/kudon/}} 'my house' – {{lang|myv|кудонь}} {{IPA|/kudonʲ/}} '(a) house's'. Non-palatalized {{IPA|/t/}}, {{IPA|/d/}}, {{IPA|/n/}} in a front vowel environment are limited to recent Russian loans such as {{lang|myv|кит}} {{IPA|/kit/}} 'whale'.<ref name="Rueter">{{cite book |last=Rueter |first=Jack |title=Adnominal Person in the Morphological System of Erzya |publisher=Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura |year=2010 |series=Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia 261 |place=Helsinki}}
</ref>

Note on romanized transcription: in Uralic studies, the members of the palatalized series are usually spelled as {{angbr|ń}}, {{angbr|ť}}, {{angbr|ď}}, {{angbr|ć}}, {{angbr|ś}}, {{angbr|ź}}, {{angbr|ŕ}}, {{angbr|ľ}}, while the postalveolar sounds are spelled {{angbr|č}}, {{angbr|š}}, {{angbr|ž}} (see [[Uralic Phonetic Alphabet]]).

{{IPAslink|f}} and {{IPAslink|x}} are loan phonemes from Russian.<ref name=Saarinen/> There is a phonemic contrast between {{IPAslink|n}} and {{IPAslink|ŋ}}, despite that they share the standard spelling ⟨н⟩. [[Minimal pair]]s include:
* {{IPA|/janɡa/}} "along the path", in which the alveolar {{IPA|/n/}} of the stem is retained before the prolative case ending {{IPA|/ɡa/}}, vs. {{IPA|/jaŋɡa/}}, the connegative form of the verb {{IPA|/jaŋɡams/}} "to break"
* {{IPA|/jonks/}} "good", subject or object complement in {{IPA|/ks/}} translative, vs. {{IPA|/joŋks/}} "direction; area". See Rueter 2010: 58.

[[File:Mordovians in Russia.png|thumb|Mordovians in European Russia]]

=== Vowels ===
Erzya has a simple five-vowel system.<ref name=Zaicz>{{cite book |last=Zaicz |first=Gábor |chapter=Mordva |year=1998 |title=The Uralic Languages |editor-last=Abondolo |editor-first=Daniel |pages=184–218 |location=London |publisher=Routledge}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[High vowel|High]]
| {{IPA link|i}}
| {{IPA link|u}}
|-
! [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| {{IPA link|e}}
| {{IPA link|o}}
|-
! [[Low vowel|Low]]
|colspan="2"| {{IPA link|a}}
|}

The front vowels {{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/e/}} have centralized variants {{IPAblink|ï}} and {{IPAblink|ë}} immediately following a plain alveolar consonant, e.g. {{transliteration|myv|siń}} {{IPA|[sïnʲ]}} "they", {{transliteration|myv|seń}} {{IPA|[sënʲ]}} "blue".

=== Vowel harmony ===
As in many other [[Uralic languages]], Erzya has [[vowel harmony]]. Most roots contain either [[front vowel]]s ({{IPA|/i/}}, {{IPA|/e/}}) or [[back vowel]]s ({{IPA|/u/}}, {{IPA|/o/}}). In addition, all suffixes with mid vowels have two forms: the form to be used is determined by the final syllable of the stem. The low vowel ({{IPA|/a/}}), found in the comparative case {{lang|myv|-шка}} ({{transliteration|myv|ška}}) "the size of" and the prolative {{lang|myv|-ка/-га/-ва}} ({{transliteration|myv|ka/ga/va}}) "spatial multipoint used with verbs of motion as well as position" is a back vowel and not subject to vowel harmony.

The rules of vowel harmony are as follows:

# If the final syllable of the word stem contains a front vowel, the front form of the suffix is used: {{lang|myv|веле}} ({{transliteration|myv|veĺe}}) "village", {{lang|myv|велесэ}} ({{transliteration|myv|veĺese}}) "in a village"
# If the final syllable of the word stem contains a back vowel, and it is followed by plain (non-palatalized) consonants, the back form of the suffix is used: {{lang|myv|кудо}} ({{transliteration|myv|kudo}}) "house", {{lang|myv|кудосо}} ({{transliteration|myv|kudoso}}) "in a house"

However, if the back vowel is followed by a palatalized consonant or palatal glide, vowel harmony is violated and the "front" form of the suffix is used: {{lang|myv|кальсэ}} ({{transliteration|myv|kaĺse}}) "with willow", {{lang|myv|ойсэ}} ({{transliteration|myv|ojse}}) "with butter". Likewise, if a front-vowel stem is followed by a low back vowel suffix, subsequent syllables will contain back harmony: {{lang|myv|велеванзо}} ({{transliteration|myv|veĺevanzo}}) "throughout its villages"

Thus the seeming violations of vowel harmony attested in stems, e.g. {{lang|myv|узере}} ({{transliteration|myv|uźere}}) "axe", {{lang|myv|суре}} ({{transliteration|myv|suŕe}}) "thread (string)", are actually due to the palatalized consonants {{IPA|/zʲ/}} and {{IPA|/rʲ/}}.

One exception to front-vowel harmony is observed in palatalized non-final {{IPA|/lʲ/}}, e.g. {{lang|myv|асфальтсо}} ({{transliteration|myv|asfaĺtso}}) "with asphalt".

== Writing ==
{{main|Mordvinic alphabets}}

===Cyrillic alphabet===
The modern Erzya alphabet is the same as for [[Russian language|Russian]]:<ref name="Saarinen" />

:{| style="text-align:center;"
|-
|[[A (Cyrillic)|А]]<br />{{IPA|/a/}}||[[Be (Cyrillic)|Б]]<br />{{IPA|/b/}}||[[Ve (Cyrillic)|В]]<br />{{IPA|/v/}}||[[Ge (Cyrillic)|Г]]<br />{{IPA|/ɡ/}}||[[De (Cyrillic)|Д]]<br />{{IPA|/d/}}||[[Ye (Cyrillic)|Е]]<br />{{IPA|/je/}}||[[Yo (Cyrillic)|Ё]]<br />{{IPA|/jo/}}||[[Zhe (Cyrillic)|Ж]]<br />{{IPA|/ʒ/}}||[[Ze (Cyrillic)|З]]<br />{{IPA|/z/}}||[[I (Cyrillic)|И]]<br />{{IPA|/i/}}||[[Short I|Й]]<br />{{IPA|/j/}}
|-
|[[Ka (Cyrillic)|К]]<br />{{IPA|/k/}}||[[El (Cyrillic)|Л]]<br />{{IPA|/l/}}||[[Em (Cyrillic)|М]]<br />{{IPA|/m/}}||[[En (Cyrillic)|Н]]<br />{{IPA|/n/}}||[[O (Cyrillic)|О]]<br />{{IPA|/o/}}||[[Pe (Cyrillic)|П]]<br />{{IPA|/p/}}||[[Er (Cyrillic)|Р]]<br />{{IPA|/r/}}||[[Es (Cyrillic)|С]]<br />{{IPA|/s/}}||[[Te (Cyrillic)|Т]]<br />{{IPA|/t/}}||[[U (Cyrillic)|У]]<br />{{IPA|/u/}}||[[Ef (Cyrillic)|Ф]]<br />{{IPA|/f/}}
|-
|[[Kha (Cyrillic)|Х]]<br />{{IPA|/x/}}||[[Tse (Cyrillic)|Ц]]<br />{{IPA|/t͡s/}}||[[Che (Cyrillic)|Ч]]<br />{{IPA|/t͡ʃ/}}||[[Sha (Cyrillic)|Ш]]<br />{{IPA|/ʃ/}}||[[Shcha (Cyrillic)|Щ]] <br />{{IPA|/ʃt͡ʃ/}}||[[Yer|Ъ]]<br />{{IPA|/-/}}||[[Yery|Ы]]<br /> {{IPA|/ɨ/}}||[[Soft sign|Ь]]<br />{{IPA|/◌ʲ/}}||[[E (Cyrillic)|Э]]<br />{{IPA|/e/}}||[[Yu (Cyrillic)|Ю]]<br />{{IPA|/ju/}}||[[Ya (Cyrillic)|Я]]<br />{{IPA|/ja/}}
|}

The letters ф, х, щ and ъ are only used in loanwords from Russian. The pre-1929 version of the Erzya alphabet included the additional letter [[Ҥ|Cyrillic ligature En Ge]] (Ҥ&nbsp;ҥ) in some publications, (cf. Evsevyev 1928).

In combination with the alveolar consonants т, д, ц, с, з, н, л, and р, vowel letters are employed to distinguish between plain and palatalized articulations in a similar way as in Russian: а, э, ы, о, у follow plain alveolars, while я, е, и, ё, ю follow palatalized alveolars, e.g. та /ta/, тэ /te/, ты /ti/, то /to/, ту /tu/ vs. тя /tʲa/, те /tʲe/, ти /tʲi/, тё /tʲo/, тю /tʲu/. If no vowel follows, palatalization is indicated by ь, e.g. ть /tʲ/. Following non-alveolar consonants, only а, е, и, о, у occur, e.g. па /pa/, пе /pe/, пи /pi/, по /po/, пу /pu/.

===Latin alphabet===
{{Undue weight section|date=February 2023|to=romanization proposals that are neither official nor widely used/recognized}}
A Latin alphabet was officially approved by the government of Nizhne-Volzhskiy Kray in 1932, but it was never used:<ref>{{cite book|last1=Г. Аитов|title=Новый алфавит. Великая революция на востоке|location=Саратов|publisher=Нижневолжское краевое изд-во|year=1932|pages=61–64|language=ru}}</ref>
::::a в c ç d ә e f g y i j k l m n o p r s ş t u v x z ƶ ь

One of the modern Latin alphabet proposals:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aasmäe |first=Niina |title=An introductory course of the Erzya language |location=Tartu|publisher=Tartu Ülikooli |year=2014 |url=https://mariuver.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Intr-Ersya-Course-eng.pdf |isbn=978-9985-4-0800-1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mészáros |first=Edit |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/229451983.pdf |title=Magyar-erza-mordvin szótár [Hungarian-Erzya dictionary] |publisher=SzTE Finnugor Nyelvtudományi Tanszék |year=2008 |location=Szeged}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mészáros |first=Edit |url=https://ojs.bibl.u-szeged.hu/index.php/stualtaica/article/view/13612/13468 |title=Erza-mordvin-magyar szótár [Erzya-Hungarian dictionary] |journal=Studia Uralo-Altaica |publisher=JATE Finnugor Tanszék |year=1999 |issue=Suppl |pages=1–360 |location=Szeged}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mészáros |first=Edit |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/51306643.pdf |title=Az erza-mordvin nyelv alapjai |publisher=ELTE Finnugor Tanszék |year=2000 |location=Budapest}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=March 2023}}
::::a b c č ć d d́/ď e f g h i j k l ĺ/ľ m n ń o p r ŕ s š ś t t́/ť u v z ž ź

{| class="wikitable"
!Cyrillic
!Latin
|-
|a
|a
|-
|б
|b
|-
|в
|v
|-
|г
|g
|-
| rowspan="2" |д
|before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — d́/ď
|-
|not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — d
|-
| rowspan="3" |e
|at the beginning of a word — je
|-
|after a vowel — je
|-
|after a consonant — e
|-
| rowspan="3" |ë
|at the beginning of a word — jo
|-
|after a vowel — jo
|-
|after a consonant — o
|-
|ж
|ž
|-
| rowspan="2" |з
|before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ź
|-
|not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — z
|-
| rowspan="3" |и
|at the beginning of a word — i
|-
|after a consonant — i
|-
|after a vowel — ji
|-
|й
|j
|-
|к
|k
|-
| rowspan="2" |л
|before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ĺ/ľ
|-
|not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — l
|-
|м
|m
|-
| rowspan="2" |н
|before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ń
|-
|not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — n
|-
|o
|o
|-
|п
|p
|-
| rowspan="2" |p
|before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ŕ
|-
|not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — r
|-
| rowspan="2" |c
|before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ś
|-
|not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — s
|-
| rowspan="2" |т
|before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — t́/ť
|-
|not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — t
|-
|у
|u
|-
|ф
|f (only in loanwords)
|-
|x
|h (only in loanwords)
|-
| rowspan="2" |ц
|before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — ć
|-
|not before e,ë,и,ь,ю,я — c
|-
|ч
|č
|-
|ш
|š
|-
|щ
|šč/šť (only in loanwords)
|-
|ъ
|–
|-
|ы
|i
|-
|ь
|–
|-
|э
|e
|-
| rowspan="3" |ю
|at the beginning of a word — ju
|-
|after a vowel — ju
|-
|after a consonant — u
|-
| rowspan="3" |я
|at the beginning of a word — ja
|-
|after a vowel — ja
|-
|after a consonant — a
|}

== Morphology ==
Like all other [[Uralic languages]], Erzya is an [[agglutinative language]] which expresses grammatical relations by means of [[suffix]]es.

=== Nouns ===
Nouns are inflected for [[grammatical case|case]], [[grammatical number|number]], [[definiteness]] and [[possession (linguistics)|possessor]]. Erzya distinguishes twelve cases (here illustrated with the noun {{lang|myv|мода}} {{transliteration|myv|moda}} "ground, earth"). Number is systematically distinguished only with definite nouns; for indefinite nouns and nouns with a possessive suffix, only the nominative case has a distinct plural.<ref name="Zaicz" /><ref name="Saarinen" />

{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|-
! rowspan="2" | Case 
! colspan="2" | Indefinite 
! colspan="2" | Definite 
! colspan="2" | {{gcl|1SG}} possessive
! {{gcl|2SG}} possessive
! colspan="2" | {{gcl|3SG}} possessive
|-
! singular !! plural !! singular !! plural !! singular !! plural !! singular/plural !! singular !! plural
|-
| [[nominative case|nominative]]
| мода <br /> ''moda'' || мода-т <br /> ''moda-t'' || мода-сь <br /> ''moda-ś'' || мода-тне <br /> ''moda-tńe'' || rowspan="3" | мода-м <br /> ''moda-m'' || rowspan="3" | мода-н <br /> ''moda-n'' || rowspan="3" | мода-т <br /> ''moda-t'' || rowspan="3" | мода-зo <br /> ''moda-zo'' || rowspan="3" | мода-нзo <br /> ''moda-nzo''
|-
| [[genitive case|genitive]]
| colspan="2" | мода-нь <br /> ''moda-ń'' || мода-нть <br /> ''moda-ńt́'' || мода-тне-нь <br /> ''moda-tńe-ń''
|-
| [[dative case|dative]]/[[allative case|allative]]
| colspan="2" | мода-нень <br /> ''moda-ńeń'' || мода-нтень <br /> ''moda-ńt́eń'' || мода-тне-нень <br /> ''moda-tńe-ńeń''
|-
| [[inessive case|inessive]]
| colspan="2" | мода-со <br /> ''moda-so'' || мода-сонть <br /> ''moda-sońt́'' || мода-тне-сэ <br /> ''moda-tńe-se'' || colspan="2" | мода-со-н <br /> ''moda-so-n'' || мода-со-т <br /> ''moda-so-t'' || colspan="2" | мода-со-нзo <br /> ''moda-so-nzo''
|-
| [[elative case|elative]]
| colspan="2" |  мода-сто <br /> ''moda-sto'' || мода-стонть <br /> ''moda-stońt́'' || мода-тне-стэ <br /> ''moda-tńe-ste'' || colspan="2" |  мода-сто-н <br /> ''moda-sto-n''  || мода-сто-т <br /> ''moda-sto-t'' || colspan="2" |  мода-сто-нзo <br /> ''moda-sto-nzo'' 
|-
| [[illative case|illative]]
| colspan="2" | мода-с <br /> ''moda-s'' ||  мода-нтень <br /> ''moda-ńt́eń'' || мода-тне-с <br /> ''moda-tńe-s'' || colspan="2" | мода-з-oн <br /> ''moda-z-on'' || мода-з-oт <br /> ''moda-z-ot'' || colspan="2" | мода-з-oнзo <br /> ''moda-z-onzo'' 
|-
| [[prolative case|prolative]]
| colspan="2" | мода-ва <br /> ''moda-va'' || мода-ванть <br /> ''moda-vańt́'' || мода-тне-ва <br /> ''moda-tńe-va'' || colspan="2" | мода-ва-н <br /> ''moda-va-n'' || мода-ва-т <br /> ''moda-va-t'' || colspan="2" | мода-ва-нзo <br /> ''moda-va-nzo'' 
|-
| [[ablative case|ablative]]
| colspan="2" | мода-до <br /> ''moda-do'' || мода-донть <br /> ''moda-dońt́'' || мода-тне-дe <br /> ''moda-tńe-d́e'' || colspan="2" | мода-до-н <br /> ''moda-do-n'' || мода-до-т <br /> ''moda-do-t'' || colspan="2" | мода-до-нзo <br /> ''moda-do-nzo'' 
|-
| [[lative case|lative]]
| colspan="2" | мода-в <br /> ''moda-v'' || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || colspan="2" {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || colspan="2" {{n/a}}
|-
| [[translative case|translative]]
| colspan="2" | мода-кс <br /> ''moda-ks'' || мода-ксонть <br /> ''moda-ksońt́'' || мода-тне-кс <br /> ''moda-tńe-ks'' || colspan="2" | мода-кс-oн <br /> ''moda-ks-on'' || мода-кс-oт <br /> ''moda-ks-ot'' || colspan="2" | мода-кс-oнзo <br /> ''moda-ks-onzo'' 
|-
| [[abessive case|abessive]]
| colspan="2" | мода-втомо <br /> ''moda-vtomo'' || мода-втомонть <br /> ''moda-vtomońt́'' || мода-тне-втеме <br /> ''moda-tńe-vt́eme'' || colspan="2" | мода-втомо-н <br /> ''moda-vtomo-n'' || мода-втомо-т <br /> ''moda-vtomo-t'' || colspan="2" | мода-втомо-нзo <br /> ''moda-vtomo-nzo'' 
|-
| [[comparative case|comparative]]
| colspan="2" | мода-шка <br /> ''moda-ška'' || мода-шканть <br /> ''moda-škańt́'' || мода-тне-шка <br /> ''moda-tńe-ška'' || colspan="2" | мода-шка-н <br /> ''moda-ška-n'' || мода-шка-т <br /> ''moda-ška-t'' || colspan="2" | мода-шка-нзo <br /> ''moda-ška-nzo''
|}

Plural possessors follow the pattern of second person singular possessors.

{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|-
! rowspan="2" | Case 
! {{gcl|1PL}}.{{gcl|POSS}}!! {{gcl|2PL}}.{{gcl|POSS}}!! {{gcl|3PL}}.{{gcl|POSS}}
|-
! singular/plural !! singular/plural !! singular/plural
|-
| [[nominative case|nominative]]
| мода-нoк <br /> ''moda-nok'' || мода-нк <br /> ''moda-nk'' || мода-ст <br /> ''moda-st''
|-
| [[inessive case|inessive]]<br /><br /> (...) 
| мода-со-нoк <br /> ''moda-so-nok'' <br /> (...) || мода-со-нк <br /> ''moda-so-nk'' <br /> (...) || мода-со-ст <br /> ''moda-so-st''<br /> (...) 
|}

=== Verbs ===
Erzya verbs are inflected for tense and mood, and are further conjugated for person of subject and object.<ref name="Saarinen" /><ref name="Zaicz" /> Traditionally, three stem types are distinguished: ''a''-stems, ''o''-stems and ''e''-stems. ''A''-stems always retain the stem vowel ''a'' in the non-third-person present-tense forms, and in the third-person first past-tense forms (e.g. {{transliteration|myv|pal'''a'''-ś}} "kissed"). With many ''o''-stems and ''e''-stems, the stem vowel is dropped in these forms (e.g. ''o''-stem {{transliteration|myv|van-ś}} "watched", ''e''-stem {{transliteration|myv|ńiĺ-ś}} "swallowed"), but there also ''o''- and ''e''-stem verbs which retain the vowel ({{transliteration|myv|ud'''o'''-ś}} "slept", {{transliteration|myv|pid́'''e'''-ś}} "cooked"). Rueter (2010) therefore divides verb stems into vowel-retaining stems and vowel-dropping stems.<ref name="Rueter" />

In indicative mood, three tenses are distinguished: present/future, first past, second (=habitual) past.

{| class="wikitable"
|+indicative mood
! rowspan="3" colspan="2" |
! colspan="3" | present/future tense
! colspan="2" | first past tense
! colspan="2" | second past tense
|-
! ''a''-stem
! ''o''-stem
! ''e''-stem
! ''a''-stem
! ''e''-stem
! ''e''-stem
|-
! {{nobold|'sing'}}
! {{nobold|'watch'}}
! {{nobold|'swallow'}}
! {{nobold|'know'}}
! {{nobold|'say'}}
! {{nobold|'see'}}
|-
! rowspan="2" |1st<br>person
! singular
| мора-н<br/>''mora-n''
| ван-ан<br/>''van-an''
| пил-ян<br/>''piĺ-an''
| сод-ы-нь<br/>''sod-i-ń''
| мер-и-нь<br/>''meŕ-i-ń''
| неи-линь<br/>''ńej-i-ĺiń''
|-
! plural
| мора-тано<br/>''mora-tano''
| ван-тано<br/>''van-tano''
| пиль-тяно<br/>''piĺ-t́ano''
| сод-ы-нек<br/>''sod-i-ńek''
| мер-и-нек<br/>''meŕ-i-ńek''
| неи-линек<br/>''ńej-i-ĺińek''
|-
! rowspan="2" |2nd<br>person
! singular
| мора-т<br/>''mora-t''
| ван-ат<br/>''van-at''
| пил-ят<br/>''piĺ-at''
| сод-ы-ть<br/>''sod-i-t́''
| мер-и-ть<br/>''meŕ-i-t́''
| неи-лить<br/>''ńej-i-ĺit́''
|-
! plural
| мора-тадо<br/>''mora-tado''
| ван-тадо<br/>''van-tado''
| пиль-тядо<br/>''piĺ-t́ado''
| сод-ы-де<br/>''sod-i-d́e''
| мер-и-де<br/>''meŕ-i-d́e''
| неи-лиде<br/>''ńej-i-ĺid́e''
|-
! rowspan="2" |3rd<br>person
! singular
| мор-ы<br/>''mor-i''
| ван-ы<br/>''van-i''
| пил-и<br/>''piĺ-i''
| содa-сь<br/>''soda-ś''
| мер-сь<br/>''meŕ-ś''
| неи-ль<br/>''ńej-i-ĺ''
|-
! plural
| мор-ыть<br/>''mor-it́''
| ван-ыть<br/>''van-it́''
| пил-ить<br/>''piĺ-it́''
| содa-сть<br/>''soda-śt́''
| мер-сть<br/>''meŕ-śt́''
| неи-льть<br/>''ńej-i-ĺt́''
|-
! rowspan="2" |infinitive
! first
| мора-мс<br/>''mora-ms''
| вано-мс<br/>''vano-ms''
| пиле-мс<br/>''piĺe-ms''
| сода-мс<br/>''soda-ms''
| мере-мс<br/>''meŕe-ms''
| нее-мс<br/>''ńeje-ms''
|-
! second
|мора-мо<br />''mora-mo''
|вано-мо<br />''vano-mo''
|пиле-ме<br />''piĺe-me''
|сода-мо<br />''soda-mo''
|мере-ме<br />''meŕe-me''
|нее-ме<br />''ńeje-me''
|}

The third-person singular form in the present tense is also used as present participle. The second past tense is formed by adding the past-tense copula {{transliteration|myv|-ĺ}} to the present participle.

The other mood categories are:
*conditional ({{transliteration|myv|-ińd́eŕa}} + present suffixes)
*conjunctive ({{transliteration|myv|-v}}(V){{transliteration|myv|ĺ}} + past suffixes)
*conditional-conjunctive ({{transliteration|myv|-ińd́eŕa-v}}(V){{transliteration|myv|ĺ}} + past suffixes)
*desiderative ({{transliteration|myv|-ikseĺ}} + past suffixes)
*optative ({{transliteration|myv|zo}} + present suffixes)
*imperative ({{transliteration|myv|-k/-do}})

{| class="wikitable"
|+other mood categories
!rowspan=2 colspan=2|
! conditional
! conjunctive
! conditional-conjunctive
! desiderative
|-
! {{nobold|'eat'}}
! {{nobold|'win'}}
! {{nobold|'be'}}
! {{nobold|'sow'}}
|-
!rowspan=2|1st<br>person
! singular
| ярс-ындеря-н<br/>''jars-ińd́eŕa-n''
| изня-влинь<br/>''iźńa-vĺiń''
| ул-индеря-влинь<br/>''uĺ-ińd́eŕa-vĺiń''
| вид-иксэлинь<br/>''vid́-ikseĺiń''
|-
! plural
| ярс-ындеря-тано<br/>''jars-ińd́eŕa-tano''
| изня-влинек<br/>''iźńa-vĺińek''
| ул-индеря-влинек<br/>''uĺ-ińd́eŕa-vĺińek''
| вид-иксэлинек<br/>''vid́-ikseĺińek''
|-
!rowspan=2|2nd<br>person
! singular
| ярс-ындеря-т<br/>''jars-ińd́eŕa-t''
| изня-влить<br/>''iźńa-vĺit́''
| ул-индеря-влить<br/>''uĺ-ińd́eŕa-vĺit́''
| вид-иксэлить<br/>''vid́-ikseĺit́''
|-
! plural
| ярс-ындеря-тадо<br/>''jars-ińd́eŕa-tado''
| изня-влиде<br/>''iźńa-vĺid́e''
| ул-индеря-влиде<br/>''uĺ-ińd́eŕa-vĺid́e''
| вид-иксэлиде<br/>''vid́-ikseĺid́e''
|-
!rowspan=2|3rd<br>person
! singular
| ярс-ындеря-й<br/>''jars-ińd́eŕa-j''
| изня-воль<br/>''iźńa-voĺ''
| ул-индеря-воль<br/>''uĺ-ińd́eŕa-voĺ''
| вид-иксэль<br/>''vid́-ikseĺ''
|-
! plural
| ярс-ындеря-йть<br/>''jars-ińd́eŕa-jt́''
| изня-вольть<br/>''iźńa-voĺt́''
| ул-индеря-вольть<br/>''uĺ-ińd́eŕa-voĺt́''
| вид-иксэльть<br/>''vid́-ikseĺt́''
|-
!rowspan=2|infinitive
! first
| ярса-мс<br/>''jarsa-ms''
| изня-мс<br/>''iźńa-ms''
| уле-мс<br />''uĺe-ms''
| виде-мс<br />''vid́e-ms''
|-
! second
| ярса-мо<br />''jarsa-mo''
| изня-мо<br />''iźńa-mo''
| уле-ме<br />''uĺe-me''
| виде-ме<br />''vid́e-me''
|}

== Vocabulary ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Erzya
!English
|-
|Шумбрат (''Šumbrat'')
|Hello (to one person)
|-
|Шумбратадо (''Šumbratado'')
|Hello (to multiple people)
|-
|Кода тонь леметь? (''Koda toń ĺemet́?'')
|What is your name?
|-
|Монь лемем ___. (''Moń ĺemem ___.'')
|My name is ____.
|-
|Сюкпря (''Śukpŕa'')
|Thank you
|-
|Вастомазонок (''Vastomazonok'')
|Goodbye
|-
|ава (''ava'')
|woman
|-
|ломань (''lomań'')
|man, person
|-
|эйкакш (''ejkakš'')
|child
|-
|ялга (''jalga''), оя (''oja'')
|friend
|-
|тетя (''t́et́a'')
|father
|-
|ава (''ava'')
|mother
|-
|цёра (''ćora'')
|boy
|-
|тейтерь (''t́ejt́eŕ'')
|girl
|-
|кудо (''kudo'')
|house
|-
|ош (''oš'')
|city
|-
|мастор (''mastor'')
|land
|-
|килей (''kiĺej'')
|birch tree
|-
|лей (''ĺej'')
|river
|-
|вирь (''viŕ'')
|forest
|-
|эрьке (''eŕke'')
|lake
|-
|кинига (''kińiga''), конёвкс (''końovks'')
|book
|-
|столь (''stoĺ''), тувор (''tuvor'')
|table
|-
|пине (''pińe'')
|dog
|-
|псака (''psaka''), катка (''katka'')
|cat
|-
|ракша (''rakša'')
|animal
|-
|овто (''ovto'')
|bear
|-
|кал (''kal'')
|fish
|}

== Sample text ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Erzya (Cyrillic)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Article 1 of the UDHR in Uralic languages |url=https://www.omniglot.com/udhr/uralic.htm |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=www.omniglot.com}}</ref>
!Erzya (Transliteration)
!English<ref>{{Cite web |title=UDHR in Germanic languages |url=https://www.omniglot.com/udhr/germanic.htm |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=www.omniglot.com}}</ref>
|-
|Весе ломантне чачить олякс ды правасост весе вейкетекс. Сынст улить превест-чарьксчист ды визькстэ чарькодемаст, вейке-вейкень коряс прясь тенст ветяма братонь ёжо марто.
|''Veśe lomańt́ńe čačit́ oĺaks di pravasost veśe vejket́eks. Sinst uĺit́ pŕevest-čaŕksčist di viźkste čaŕkod́emast, vejke-vejkeń koŕas pŕaś t́eńst vet́ama bratoń jožo marto.''
|All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
|}

== See also ==
*[[Erzya people]]
*[[Erzya literature]]
*[[Erzyan Mastor]]

== Bibliography ==
*A.I. Bryzhinskiy, O.V. Pashutina, Ye.I. Chernov. <cite>Писатели Мордовии</cite> Биобиблиографический справочник. Saransk: Mordovskoye Knizhnoye Izdatelystvo, 2001. {{ISBN|5-7595-1386-9}}.
*Vasilij D'omin. <cite>Сюконян тенк...</cite> Эрзянь писательде ёвтнемат. Saransk, 2005. {{ISBN|5-7595-1665-5}}.
*Ksenija Djordjevic & Jean-Leo Leonard. <cite>Parlons Mordve</cite>. Paris: L'Harmattan, 2006, {{ISBN|2-296-00147-5}}.
*Makar E. Evsev'ev. <cite>Основы мордовской грамматика, Эрзянь грамматика.</cite> С приложением образцов мокшанских склонений и спряжений. Москва: Центральное издательство народов СССР, 1928.
*Jack Rueter. <cite>Adnominal Person in the Morphological System of Erzya</cite>. Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia 261. Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, 2010, {{ISBN|978-952-5667-23-3}} [print], {{ISBN|978-952-5667-24-0}} [online].
*D.V. Tsygankin. <cite>Память запечатленная в слове</cite>: Словарь географических названий республики Мордовия. Saransk, 2005. {{ISBN|5-7493-0780-8}}.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
{{InterWiki|code=myv}}
*Finno-Ugric Electronic Library by the Finno-Ugric Information Center in [[Syktyvkar]], [[Komi Republic]] (interface in Russian and English, texts in [[Mari language|Mari]], [[Komi language|Komi]], [[Udmurt language|Udmurt]], Erzya and [[Moksha language|Moksha]] languages): [https://web.archive.org/web/20051018190124/http://library.finugor.ru/]
*[http://www.erzia.saransk.ru/ Erzjanj Mastor]&nbsp;– The society for preserving the Erzya language (in Erzya and Russian)
* https://web.archive.org/web/20061029185215/http://www.info-rm.com/er/index.php News in the Erzya and Moksha Mordvinian languages
* [https://archive.today/20081021051746/http://www.erzan.ru/erzjanskij-jazyk] Эрзянский язык
* [https://valks.oahpa.no Erzya – Finnish/English/German/Russian dictionary] (robust finite-state, open-source) <!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20170602000344/http://valks.oahpa.no/ -->
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170113190126/http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/~rueter/rsc/erzya-studies-reference-bibliography.shtml] Erzya studies reference bibliography under construction.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120426090603/http://www.library.saransk.ru/fu/grant/slovar.pdf Russian-Moksha-Erzya Dictionary]
* [http://lazalyk.narod.ru/business.html Russian-Erzya Dictionary]

{{Uralic languages}}
{{Languages of Russia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erzya Language}}
[[Category:Erzya language| ]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of European Russia]]