This paper investigates two subordinating conjunctions of the Surgut dialect, one of the Eastern dialects of Ostyak. One of these, k ¡ unte 'when, if' acquired the function of a conditional conjunction in addition to its ancient function of a temporal question word; a special feature of its grammaticalization is that whereas it occurs clause initially as a question word, in its conditional function it occurs clause finally. The other item investigated, kȗč, may have four different functions in this dialect: it can serve as (a) a temporal conjunction expressing contact anteriority, 'as soon as'; (b) a conjunction of concession, 'although'; (c) a paired concessive-disjunctive conjunction, 'whether.. . or'; and (d) the anterior constituent of various compounds in 'any-' (e.g., 'anyone'). Its origin is debated: it is either a Russian loanword or else an Ob-Ugrian innovation. This paper argues that, in view of the results of research on grammaticalization in general, the former claim can be discarded with a high degree of probability. Finally, the paper investigates the debated issue of whether these items can be regarded as conjunctions proper and concludes that nothing warrants their exclusion from that category. This paper is based on data coming from the following sources: Paasonen-Vértes (2001), Honti (1978a;b), Honti-Rusvai (1977), Csepregi (1998). For the sake of philological accuracy, as well as in order to avoid mistakes that might crop in while the primary data are brought to a consistent format, linguistic data will be cited in terms of the authors' own transcription systems and with the authors' own translations (translated into English).