4.8.1.  Relation to the nominal clause

The forms of the copulas practically are identical, except for the fact that existential verbs can never be absent.
Mari-nak *(van) egy kutyá-ja
Mary-DAT be.3SG a dog-POSS
’Mary has a dog.’
Source: Example provided by database editor (native speaker).
Nominal clauses are categorical sentences, their subject must be specific and usually topical. The nominal clause that corresponds to predicative possession is in fact the belong-construction (see Topic 5 in the database). In this construction third person, present tense, indicative copulas must be absent.
A kutya Mari-é (*van).
the dog Mary-é be.3SG
’The dog is Mary's.’
Source: Example provided by database editor (native speaker).
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Read more about:
  • nonverbal predication
  • possession
  • predicative possession
    • in Linguistic terms and definitions.