On the syntax of comitative constructions in some Finno-Ugric languages

This paper deals with comitative constructions in some Finno-Ugric languages, mainly in Hill Mari, Moksha Mordvin and Kazym Khanty, using the data of other languages as an intragenetic background. I argue that in the three named languages a comitative phrase in the comitative construction appears at the VP level. Comitative coordination [X Y COM V-PL] is compatible with distributive predicates, while comitative constructions do not allow a distributive interpretation. However, a comitative phrase in this construction can be detached from the central NP, while parts of a coordinate structure cannot appear non-contiguously, which complicates the explanation of plural verbal agreement.