Reading a library notice with one unknown word
A candidate is reading a short notice pinned to the door of the Aanaar library. The notice has six lines: a bold heading, a date and time, a room, an instruction, and a phone number. The candidate understands the heading ('reading circle'), the time (17.30), and the phone number, but not the word for the room. The instruction line contains a familiar imperative meaning 'bring' followed by a noun the candidate knows as 'book', and then a phrase ending in -st that the candidate initially reads as 'the library's book'. The candidate has a bilingual dictionary that gives two stems for the noun 'book' but no example sentences. They must answer four questions: event, day, room, and what to bring. The candidate has 4 minutes and may write notes on the question paper. They are tempted to translate the -st phrase as 'from the library' because the notice is in a library.
1. How should the candidate use the -st ending to decide what to bring? Explain the case reasoning.
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The ending -st is a source/locative marker meaning 'from' or 'out of', not a possessive. In the phrase 'bring book ... -st', the -st phrase most likely modifies the source: 'a book from home' or 'from your own shelf'. The candidate should not read it as 'the library's book' just because the notice is in the library; that would require a possessive/genitive construction, not a source ending. The imperative 'bring' takes the thing brought as its object; the -st phrase tells where the book should come from. So the answer to 'what to bring' is 'a book from home/your own book', not 'a library book'. If the candidate is unsure of the exact source word, write 'own book' rather than 'library book'.
2. The dictionary lists two stems for 'book'. How should the candidate choose the form for the notice's phrase?
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A Sámi dictionary typically lists the nominative and the genitive/accusative stem; the second stem is the one that most case endings attach to. The candidate should identify which form appears in the notice: if the notice has the bare nominative after the imperative, use the first stem; if it has a case ending, use the second stem as the base. The -st ending attaches to the genitive stem, so the candidate should check whether the notice's form already contains the consonant changes shown in the second stem. If the dictionary gives no examples, test the ending on a known noun from the same declension. If still uncertain, write the meaning ('own book') rather than a guessed form.
3. The candidate cannot identify the room word. What is the best use of the remaining time?
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Prioritize the three answerable rows. The event, date/time, and what to bring are supported by known words. For the room, use the notice's layout: the room word follows the time and precedes the instruction, a typical position for location. If the library has a known small room and the notice's word resembles a known word for 'small', write that. Otherwise write the word as it appears and mark it with a question mark; a copied form may earn credit for locating the information even if the meaning is uncertain. Do not spend all four minutes on one cell. In a basic reading task, completing three rows confidently is a better strategy than leaving four incomplete.