Details
General
| Morphemic form: | V{naq}V (Combinations) |
| New orthography: | +narpoq |
| Proto-eskimoic root: | naʀ |
| Variants: | V{naq}N |
| Morpheme type: | Verbal modifier |
| Left sandhi: | ə-eliding (additive) |
| Right sandhi: | None |
Description
Form and usage:
This affix is difficult to translate into English.
Its meaning can perhaps best be expressed as 'is such as to be Vb'able' or just 'is Vb'able' as e.g. in English it is understandable, from the divalent relation Agent understands Patient.
It can be used on both monovalent and divalent stems and reduces the valency in the following way:
- On a divalent stem (
AgentVbPatient) it yields a new monovalent stem (Patientis Vb'able). The new stem will commonly (but not always) be used with 3.sg endings in an impersonal sense, i.e. where the subject 'it' does not refer to any explicitly mentioned noun. - On a monovalent stems (
ActorVb) it yields an avalent stem (it is such as to Vb). Alternatively, the stem may still be used in a monovalent sense, but with a differentActor.
In any case, the affix is used to express a less personal (or impersonal) relationship, similar to the impersonal use of 'one' in English, or rewriting a sentence to use 'it' as subject (e.g. 'I am tired of it' ⇒ 'it is tiresome').
Left sandhi:The affix may elide /ə/ on the preceding stem, especially in lexicalised constructions. See the examples with tupigaa and usoraa.
Verb stem
| Right sandhi: | Regular |
| Valency: | Valency-reducing |
| Diathesis: | Patientive (NAP) |
Meaning(s)
| Meaning | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
Patient is (such as to be) Vb'able |
On divalent stems | Examples |
| 'it is Vb'able' | On monovalent stems | Examples |