This chapter presents an empirical study of forms and
constructions in Mari, a language without an essive or translative case
marker, where other Uralic languages may use the essive or translative.
The description of the properties of these forms and constructions
follows the linguistic questionnaire that captures the contexts in which
essive and/or translative markers may occur in the Uralic languages.
The study specifically investigates the opposition between permanent and
impermanent state in non-verbal predications. The linguistic domains
involved are non-verbal main predication, secondary predication,
complementation, and manner, temporal, and circumstantial adverbial
phrases. Finally, the syntactic position of elements marked by this form
is discussed in relation to the position of focus constituents.