I85PREP
⌘ K
Mother Tongue Skolt Sámi study materials
Mother Tongue Skolt Sámi study resources

Mother Tongue Skolt Sámi practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Mother Tongue Skolt Sámi understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Reading comprehension

Skolt Sámi is written with a Latin-based alphabet that includes several letters not found in Norwegian or Finnish orthography. Which of the following letters is part of the standard Skolt Sámi alphabet?

  1. Þ
  2. Đ Correct answer.
  3. Ø
  4. Æ

Explanation

Skolt Sámi orthography uses the letter đ (capital Đ) to represent a voiced dental fricative. This letter is a distinctive feature of the Skolt Sámi writing system and appears in many common words. Þ, Æ, and Ø belong to Icelandic, Danish, and Norwegian traditions rather than Skolt Sámi.

Question 2Reading comprehension

In Skolt Sámi, the letter 'õ' represents which kind of vowel?

  1. A central vowel Correct answer.
  2. A long front vowel
  3. A back rounded vowel
  4. A diphthong

Explanation

The letter õ in Skolt Sámi denotes a central vowel, similar in quality to the schwa-like sound. It is distinct from the front vowels ä and e and from back vowels like o and u. Recognizing õ as central helps readers decode unfamiliar words accurately.

Question 3Reading comprehension

Read this short Skolt Sámi sentence: 'Mââʹnn jiâttâl.' What does 'jiâttâl' most likely describe?

  1. An action connected with walking or travelling Correct answer.
  2. A type of food
  3. A place where someone lives
  4. A family relationship

Explanation

The verb jiâttâl is related to movement, specifically walking or travelling. The sentence structure with a subject (Mââʹnn) followed by a verb indicates a simple statement of action. Recognizing verb stems in context is a core reading-comprehension skill in Skolt Sámi.

Question 4Reading comprehension

Skolt Sámi is traditionally spoken in which region?

  1. The island of Greenland
  2. The Baltic coast of Estonia and Latvia
  3. The central highlands of Sweden
  4. The far north of Norway, Finland, and Russia around the Kola Peninsula Correct answer.

Explanation

Skolt Sámi communities historically live in the border area of Norway, Finland, and Russia, particularly around the Kola Peninsula and Lake Inari. This geographic spread shapes the dialect variation found in written texts. Knowing the region supports understanding of place names in reading passages.

Question 5Reading comprehension

In Skolt Sámi orthography, what does the letter 'š' indicate?

  1. A voiceless postalveolar fricative Correct answer.
  2. A lateral approximant
  3. A voiced bilabial stop
  4. A nasal consonant

Explanation

The caron over s, as in š, marks a voiceless postalveolar fricative, similar to the 'sh' sound. This diacritic convention is shared with several other Uralic orthographies. Readers use it to distinguish š from the plain s sound.

Question 6Reading comprehension

Which statement best describes the relationship between Skolt Sámi and the other Sámi languages?

  1. Skolt Sámi is one of several distinct Sámi languages within the Uralic family Correct answer.
  2. Skolt Sámi is a creole of Norwegian and Russian
  3. Skolt Sámi is a dialect of Finnish
  4. Skolt Sámi is unrelated to any other language

Explanation

Skolt Sámi is one of the Sámi languages, which form a branch of the Uralic language family. It is distinct from Finnish, Norwegian, and Russian, though it has borrowed vocabulary from neighbouring languages. Understanding this classification helps readers interpret loanwords in texts.

Question 7Reading comprehension

In a Skolt Sámi text, the word 'peʹll' appears. Based on the use of the apostrophe-like mark, what does this mark typically signal in Skolt Sámi orthography?

  1. A boundary between a long and a short consonant or vowel (half-long marker) Correct answer.
  2. A stress marker on the preceding syllable
  3. A glottal stop replacing a letter
  4. A tone accent

Explanation

In Skolt Sámi writing, the superscript mark (often rendered as ʹ) indicates a half-long quantity or a boundary in consonant and vowel length. It helps readers distinguish quantity contrasts that are phonemic in the language. This makes it essential for accurate pronunciation and comprehension.

Question 8Reading comprehension

Which of these is the most likely Skolt Sámi word for 'water'?

  1. Keedǥ
  2. Vuõss
  3. Čääʹcc Correct answer.
  4. Põrtt

Explanation

Čääʹcc is the Skolt Sámi word for water, showing the characteristic č and ää with a quantity mark. The other options represent unrelated concepts. Recognizing core vocabulary like this supports basic passage comprehension.

Question 9Reading comprehension

Read the sentence: 'Son lij mââʹst.' What does the verb 'lij' most likely express?

  1. Present tense of 'to be' Correct answer.
  2. Future tense of 'to eat'
  3. Past tense of 'to go'
  4. Imperative of 'to come'

Explanation

The form lij functions as a copula, the present-tense 'is' in Skolt Sámi. It links the subject son with a predicate such as a location or state. Identifying copula forms is fundamental for parsing simple sentences.

Question 10Reading comprehension

In Skolt Sámi, nouns can appear in several cases. In the phrase 'põõrtâst', what does the ending '-st' most likely indicate?

  1. A plural subject
  2. A location 'in/from inside' Correct answer.
  3. A possessor
  4. A direct object

Explanation

The ending -st is a locative case marker expressing position inside or motion from inside something. Skolt Sámi uses a rich case system, and recognizing locative endings helps locate events in a text. The stem põõrt- relates to 'house', so the form means 'in/from the house'.

Question 11Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi text says: 'Mââʹnn da Peâtt lijâstâlljin.' What does the dual form 'lijâstâlljin' suggest about the subject?

  1. The action happened long ago
  2. Exactly two people are involved Correct answer.
  3. More than three people are involved
  4. The action is a command

Explanation

Skolt Sámi, like several Sámi languages, distinguishes dual number alongside singular and plural. The dual verb form indicates that exactly two participants perform the action. Here Mââʹnn and Peâtt are the two people referred to.

Question 12Reading comprehension

In a Skolt Sámi passage, a sentence begins with 'Tõn tõttõõzzâst...'. What does the initial element 'Tõn' most likely function as?

  1. A numeral meaning 'three'
  2. A negative particle
  3. A demonstrative pronoun referring to something previously mentioned Correct answer.
  4. An interrogative word meaning 'who'

Explanation

Tõn is a demonstrative form used to point back to a referent already introduced in the discourse. Such pronouns help maintain cohesion in longer texts. Recognizing them is important for tracking who or what a passage is about.

Question 13Reading comprehension

Which sentence uses the Skolt Sámi question particle correctly to form a yes/no question?

  1. Ton vuäʹǯǩ leäk.
  2. Ton leäk vuäʹǯǩ? Correct answer.
  3. Vuäʹǯǩ ton leäk.
  4. Ton leäk vuäʹǯǩ.

Explanation

Yes/no questions in Skolt Sámi are marked by a question particle, often written -ǩ attached to a word, together with question intonation. Option 0 shows the particle attached to the final word, producing a question. The other options either lack the particle or scramble the word order unnaturally.

Question 14Reading comprehension

Read: 'Ij leäk kuõskâ.' What does the initial word 'Ij' indicate?

  1. A past-time marker
  2. A plural marker
  3. Negation of the clause Correct answer.
  4. A polite address form

Explanation

Ij is a negative auxiliary that negates the following verb. Skolt Sámi uses a negative verb that inflects for person and number, similar to other Sámi languages. Recognizing it prevents misreading a negative statement as positive.

Question 15Reading comprehension

In the sentence 'Što đõđ leeʹd, de pueʹđ!' what does the word 'de' function as?

  1. A connective meaning 'then' Correct answer.
  2. A noun meaning 'day'
  3. A preposition meaning 'without'
  4. An adjective meaning 'good'

Explanation

De is a discourse connective meaning 'then', linking a condition or circumstance to a consequence. Connectives like this guide the logical flow of a passage. Recognizing them helps readers follow cause and sequence in Skolt Sámi texts.

Question 16Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi text contains the form 'leeʹǩǩ' alongside 'leeʹd'. What grammatical difference do these two forms most likely reflect?

  1. Singular versus plural nouns
  2. Nominative versus accusative of a noun
  3. Present versus past tense of 'to go'
  4. Different persons in the present tense of 'to be' Correct answer.

Explanation

Leeʹd and leeʹǩǩ are inflected forms of the copula 'to be', differing in person or number agreement. Skolt Sámi verbs agree with their subject, so the ending changes with the subject. Identifying agreement patterns is key to parsing sentences accurately.

Question 17Reading comprehension

In a Skolt Sámi narrative, a character is described as 'nuʹbb' in relation to another character. What does 'nuʹbb' most likely mean?

  1. The youngest child
  2. The stranger
  3. The first (of many)
  4. The other (of two) Correct answer.

Explanation

Nuʹbb is an ordinal-like relational word meaning 'the other' when two entities are contrasted. It often appears in dual contexts, consistent with the language's dual number. Understanding it clarifies references between paired characters.

Question 18Reading comprehension

Which of these Skolt Sámi words is a postposition that would follow a noun in the genitive to express 'behind'?

  1. Mâŋŋa Correct answer.
  2. Sisâ
  3. Ovddâz
  4. Alda

Explanation

Mâŋŋa means 'behind' or 'after' and follows a genitive noun as a postposition. Skolt Sámi, like many Uralic languages, uses postpositions rather than prepositions for spatial relations. The other options express different spatial meanings.

Question 19Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi sentence reads: 'Peâtt lij pââʹǩǩen.' Given that pââʹǩǩen is a noun in a locative case, which translation is most plausible?

  1. Peâtt builds a village
  2. Peâtt is in the village Correct answer.
  3. Peâtt is a village
  4. Peâtt leaves the village

Explanation

The locative case ending signals position within a place, so the sentence states that Peâtt is located in the village. The copula lij links the subject to this location. Case endings carry the spatial meaning rather than a separate preposition.

Question 20Reading comprehension

In Skolt Sámi, consonant gradation affects stems. If the nominative is 'čââʹǩ' and a related inflected form shows a different consonant, what does this illustrate?

  1. A borrowed Russian ending
  2. A plural-only noun
  3. Consonant gradation between strong and weak grades Correct answer.
  4. Vowel harmony across suffixes

Explanation

Consonant gradation is a systematic alternation between strong and weak consonant grades triggered by syllable structure. Skolt Sámi inherited this feature from earlier Uralic and applies it across inflection. Readers must recognize both grades as forms of the same lexeme.

Question 21Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi text uses 'täʹbbe' and 'täʹbben' in successive clauses. What is the most likely relationship between these forms?

  1. They are different tenses of a verb
  2. They are two unrelated words
  3. They are different case forms of the same noun stem Correct answer.
  4. They are singular and plural verbs

Explanation

The shared stem täʹbbe- with different endings indicates the same noun in different cases, here likely nominative and a locative or essive form. Recognizing shared stems across endings is essential for tracking referents. The endings, not the stem, carry the grammatical information.

Question 22Reading comprehension

Read this passage-level sentence: 'Kuâlõk, mii lij pââʹǩǩest, pueʹtti.' Which element tells the reader that the fish came from inside the village?

  1. The relative pronoun mii
  2. The verb pueʹtti
  3. The word kuâlõk
  4. The case ending -est on pââʹǩǩest Correct answer.

Explanation

The ending -est is an elative case marker meaning 'out of/from inside', so pââʹǩǩest means 'from the village'. Kuâlõk is the subject 'fish', pueʹtti is the verb 'came', and mii is a relative pronoun. Only the case ending encodes the source location.

Question 23Reading comprehension

In a Skolt Sámi text, the sequence 'son ... son' appears across two clauses with the second referring back to the same person. Which reading strategy best explains this?

  1. The repetition is a question marker
  2. The repeated pronoun maintains reference to the same discourse participant Correct answer.
  3. The repetition marks a change of tense
  4. The repetition signals two different people

Explanation

Repeated third-person pronouns typically maintain reference to the same participant unless a new noun phrase introduces someone else. Tracking pronominal reference is central to reading comprehension in Skolt Sámi narratives. Misreading repetition as a new referent leads to confusion about who does what.

Question 24Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi sentence contains a verb in the connegative form after a negative auxiliary. What does this construction require the reader to understand?

  1. The clause describes a future event
  2. The whole clause is negated even though the main verb looks like a basic form Correct answer.
  3. The clause has two subjects
  4. The clause expresses a question

Explanation

In Skolt Sámi, negation is formed with a negative auxiliary plus a special connegative form of the main verb. The connegative looks similar to a basic stem but carries no independent positive meaning. Readers who miss this will invert the meaning of the sentence.

Question 25Reading comprehension

Two Skolt Sámi clauses are joined: '... go ...'. Based on Skolt Sámi syntax, what does 'go' most commonly signal in connected discourse?

  1. A preposition meaning 'under'
  2. A subordinating conjunction introducing a temporal or causal clause Correct answer.
  3. A possessive suffix
  4. A numeral meaning 'two'

Explanation

Go functions as a subordinating conjunction meaning 'when', 'as', or 'because', introducing a dependent clause. Recognizing subordinators helps readers identify clause boundaries and logical relations. It is not a preposition, numeral, or possessive marker.

Question 26Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi reader meets the word form 'vueʹll' in a text about a reindeer herd. The mark ʹ between the two l-letters signals which feature of pronunciation?

  1. That the vowel before it is long
  2. That the preceding consonant is palatalized or 'soft' Correct answer.
  3. That the word is in the plural
  4. That the word is a loanword from Finnish

Explanation

In Skolt Sámi orthography the raised mark ʹ marks palatalization (the 'soft' pronunciation) of the consonant it follows, a contrast that is phonemic in the language. It is not a length mark for vowels and carries no information about loan origin or number.

Question 27Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi text describes a scene: 'Sieʹmmit lijâstâlljin õõuâst.' The ending of 'lijâstâlljin' tells the reader that the subject is which?

  1. An unspecified person acting habitually
  2. Many people acting over a long time
  3. One person acting alone
  4. Two people acting together Correct answer.

Explanation

Skolt Sámi keeps a dual number alongside singular and plural, and the dual ending on the verb marks exactly two participants. The form therefore reports two people (Sieʹmmit and one companion) doing something together.

Question 28Reading comprehension

In a Skolt Sámi sentence, the noun phrase 'tõn tõttõõzzâst' opens a new sentence in a story. The first element 'tõn' is best understood as doing what?

  1. Pointing back to something already mentioned, as a demonstrative Correct answer.
  2. Marking the sentence as a question
  3. Negating the following verb
  4. Introducing a brand-new character for the first time

Explanation

'Tõn' is a demonstrative/anaphoric form in the genitive, used to refer back to a referent already established in the discourse. It anchors the new sentence to old information rather than introducing new participants.

Question 29Reading comprehension

A learner sees the Skolt Sámi pair 'leeʹd' and 'leeʹǩǩ'. What is the most likely grammatical relationship between the two forms?

  1. They are singular and plural forms of a noun
  2. They are unrelated words that happen to look similar
  3. They are two spellings of exactly the same word with no difference
  4. They are forms of the same lexeme, one being the dictionary/infinitive shape and the other a finite or inflected shape Correct answer.

Explanation

The shared stem plus different endings indicates one lexeme realized in different grammatical forms, such as an infinitive versus a finite or participial form. Skolt Sámi inflection regularly produces such stem-plus-ending pairs.

Question 30Reading comprehension

In a Skolt Sámi story, one character is called 'nuʹbb' when compared with another. What does 'nuʹbb' express?

  1. The largest of all
  2. The second of two, the other one Correct answer.
  3. The first of many
  4. The same one as before

Explanation

'Nuʹbb' is the ordinal 'second' and is also used to mean 'the other' of a pair. In narrative it distinguishes the second of two referents from the first.

Question 31Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi sentence reads 'Peâtt lij pââʹǩǩen.' Given that 'pââʹǩǩen' is a locative-case noun, which reading fits best?

  1. Peâtt owns the place denoted by the noun
  2. Peâtt is leaving the place denoted by the noun
  3. Peâtt is at or in the place denoted by the noun Correct answer.
  4. Peâtt is the place denoted by the noun

Explanation

A locative case expresses location 'in/at' the referent, and the copula 'lij' links the subject to that location. The sentence is thus a locational statement about Peâtt.

Question 32Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi recipe text uses 'täʹbbe' in one clause and 'täʹbben' in the next. What relationship do the two forms most likely show?

  1. The same word in two case forms, the second adding a case ending to the first Correct answer.
  2. Two completely different lexemes
  3. A positive and a negative verb
  4. A singular and a plural imperative

Explanation

The extra ending on the second form signals a case inflection of the same stem, a common pattern when a word is repeated in a different syntactic role. The pair therefore shows one lexeme in two cases.

Question 33Reading comprehension

In the Skolt Sámi sentence 'Kuâlõk, mii lij pââʹǩǩest, pueʹtti', which element shows that the fish came from the place mentioned?

  1. The case ending on 'pââʹǩǩest' Correct answer.
  2. The relative pronoun 'mii'
  3. The comma after 'Kuâlõk'
  4. The final verb 'pueʹtti'

Explanation

The ending on 'pââʹǩǩest' is a source/elative-type case ending meaning 'from', which supplies the 'from where' information. The relative pronoun and the verb contribute other functions.

Question 34Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi sentence contains a negative auxiliary followed by a verb in the connegative form. What does this construction express?

  1. A negated statement, with the auxiliary carrying negation and the main verb in a special form Correct answer.
  2. A past-tense statement
  3. A polite request
  4. A question about the subject's identity

Explanation

Skolt Sámi negates with an inflected negative auxiliary, while the lexical verb appears in the connegative form. The auxiliary carries person and tense, and the connegative supplies the lexical meaning under negation.

Question 35Reading comprehension

In connected Skolt Sámi prose, two clauses are linked as '... go ...'. What does 'go' most commonly signal in this position?

  1. A coordination meaning 'and'
  2. A direct quotation marker
  3. A subordinating link, often translatable as 'when' or 'because' Correct answer.
  4. A negation of the following clause

Explanation

'Go' functions as a subordinating conjunction introducing a dependent clause with temporal or causal meaning. It does not simply coordinate two equal clauses.

Question 36Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi text contains the postposition 'maŋŋel' after a genitive noun phrase. What spatial meaning does it contribute?

  1. Behind or after the referent Correct answer.
  2. Inside the referent
  3. In front of the referent
  4. Above the referent

Explanation

'Maŋŋel' is a postposition meaning 'after/behind', and like other Skolt Sámi postpositions it follows a noun in the genitive. It can express both spatial 'behind' and temporal 'after'.

Question 37Reading comprehension

In a Skolt Sámi passage, the same pronoun 'son' appears in two successive clauses referring to one person. What does this repetition show about Skolt Sámi discourse?

  1. The second 'son' must refer to a different person
  2. Skolt Sámi has no pronouns and must repeat nouns
  3. Overt pronouns may be repeated for topic continuity where English would prefer a lighter anaphor Correct answer.
  4. The repetition marks the clause as negative

Explanation

Skolt Sámi narrative commonly keeps a discourse topic alive with an overt pronoun rather than dropping it or switching to a lighter form. Coreference is inferred from context, not from the repetition itself.

Question 38Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi narrator writes 'Mââʹnn da Peâtt lijâstâlljin' and then continues with a singular verb in the next sentence about Peâtt alone. What does the switch from dual to singular verb agreement signal?

  1. That the action has become negative
  2. That the action happened long ago
  3. That the set of participants has changed from two to one Correct answer.
  4. That the sentence has become a question

Explanation

Verb agreement tracks the number of participants, so moving from a dual form to a singular form indicates that only one participant remains. Number agreement is thus a cue for tracking who is doing what.

Question 39Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi text pairs a nominative form 'čââʹǩ' with an inflected form showing a different consonant. What does this alternation illustrate?

  1. Borrowing from a neighbouring language
  2. Consonant gradation, where the stem consonant alternates between strong and weak grades Correct answer.
  3. Vowel harmony across the whole word
  4. A spelling error in one of the forms

Explanation

Skolt Sámi has consonant gradation: the stem consonant alternates between grades depending on the inflectional environment. The nominative and an oblique case may therefore show different consonants from the same stem.

Question 40Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi sentence reads 'Ij leäk kuõskâ.' What does the first word 'Ij' indicate about the clause?

  1. That the clause is a command
  2. That the clause is in the future
  3. That the clause is passive
  4. That the clause is negated Correct answer.

Explanation

'Ij' is a form of the negative auxiliary, so the clause is negated and the lexical verb appears in the connegative. The auxiliary also agrees with the subject in person and number.

Question 41Reading comprehension

In a Skolt Sámi sentence, a noun appears in the genitive before a postposition. What is the main function of that genitive in this construction?

  1. It marks the complement that the postposition governs Correct answer.
  2. It marks the direct object of a transitive verb
  3. It marks plural number
  4. It marks the subject of the sentence

Explanation

Skolt Sámi postpositions govern a genitive complement, so the genitive here signals the dependent of the postposition. The same case has other uses, but government by an adposition is its role in this phrase.

Question 42Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi question is formed as 'Tueʹlâd tou?' where 'tou' follows the verb. What is the function of 'tou' in this clause?

  1. It is a negative word
  2. It is an enclitic-like question particle marking a yes/no question Correct answer.
  3. It is a plural marker on the verb
  4. It is a postposition meaning 'with'

Explanation

In Skolt Sámi, yes/no questions are commonly marked by a question particle such as 'tou' in addition to verb-initial order. The particle signals interrogative force rather than negation or case relations.

Question 43Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi sentence begins 'Što đõđ leeʹd, de pueʹđ!' What does 'de' contribute in the second clause?

  1. It negates the imperative
  2. It marks the main clause that follows a fronted subordinate clause, roughly 'then' Correct answer.
  3. It marks the clause as a question
  4. It is the plural of the noun

Explanation

When a subordinate clause is fronted, Skolt Sámi often introduces the following main clause with 'de', which functions as a correlative 'then'. It signals the boundary between the dependent and main clause.

Question 44Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi text contains the verb form 'leeʹd' used after a modal-like verb. Which reading is most consistent with this use?

  1. A negative form meaning 'is not'
  2. An infinitive 'to be' serving as the complement of the modal verb Correct answer.
  3. A plural imperative meaning 'be!'
  4. A past-tense finite form meaning 'was'

Explanation

The shape 'leeʹd' is the infinitive of the copula, and infinitives serve as complements of modal and other matrix verbs. Finite past and negative meanings are carried by other forms.

Question 45Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi passage contains the sequence '... što ...'. What does 'što' most likely introduce?

  1. A relative clause meaning 'who'
  2. A complement clause, often translated 'that' Correct answer.
  3. A negative clause
  4. A direct address to the reader

Explanation

'Što' is a complementizer introducing a subordinate clause that completes a verb of saying, knowing or perceiving. It marks the clause as the complement of the matrix predicate.

Question 46Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi word list shows 'kueʹll' meaning 'fish' and a derived form 'kueʹlâd' used as a verb. What does the pair show about Skolt Sámi word formation?

  1. Verb stems are always borrowed from other languages
  2. Nouns and verbs cannot share a stem
  3. Skolt Sámi has no derivational morphology
  4. Nouns can serve as stems for derived verbs through suffixation Correct answer.

Explanation

Skolt Sámi productively derives verbs from nominal stems by adding suffixes, so a noun and a related verb can share a stem. This is a normal pattern of Uralic derivational morphology.

Question 47Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi passage reads: 'Son lij mââʹst, ko Peâtt pueʹtti.' How should the 'ko' clause be understood in relation to the first clause?

  1. It gives the reason why the state did not hold
  2. It gives the time at which the state described in the first clause held Correct answer.
  3. It reports a question asked by Peâtt
  4. It negates the first clause

Explanation

'Ko' introduces a temporal subordinate clause, so the second clause specifies when the first situation applied. The first clause describes a state, and the 'ko' clause anchors it in time.

Question 48Reading comprehension

In a Skolt Sámi narrative, a speaker reports another person's words using a quotative particle after the quoted clause. What does this construction tell the reader?

  1. That the preceding clause is presented as someone's speech rather than the narrator's assertion Correct answer.
  2. That the preceding clause is in the future tense
  3. That the preceding clause is a relative clause
  4. That the preceding clause is negated

Explanation

A quotative particle marks reported speech, attributing the preceding clause to a speaker other than the narrator. It does not change the polarity, clause type or tense of the clause it follows.

Question 49Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi text uses a possessive suffix on a noun that already follows a genitive pronoun, as in 'muu tieʹmmsân'. What does this double marking show?

  1. The noun is in the plural
  2. The noun is the subject of a passive verb
  3. Possession is marked both by the genitive pronoun and by a possessive suffix on the noun Correct answer.
  4. The clause is interrogative

Explanation

Skolt Sámi commonly marks possession redundantly: a genitive pronoun plus a possessive suffix on the possessed noun. The two markers agree in person and reinforce the possessive relation.

Question 50Reading comprehension

A Skolt Sámi sentence contains an object noun whose shape is identical to the genitive. What does this identity reflect?

  1. That the accusative and genitive share a single form in this paradigm Correct answer.
  2. That the sentence is ungrammatical
  3. That the noun is in the plural
  4. That the noun is actually a verb

Explanation

In Skolt Sámi the accusative and genitive are formally identical in many paradigms, so the same shape can serve as object or as possessor/genitive complement. Disambiguating depends on syntax, not on the ending alone.