Details

General


Morphemic form: {savək}N
New orthography: savik
Proto-eskimoic root: caviɣ, cavəɣ
Morpheme type: Noun base
Right sandhi: None

Description


Form:

This stem may actually be a confusion between two different roots: At least, according to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, the root of this stem is {caviɣ} (knife), and not {cavəɣ}, which however also exists, but with a different meaning (iron). This may be the reason why this stem at least previously seems to have been declined with metathesis.


Noun stem


Stem type: Strong k-stem
Declension type: up-declined
Declension sandhi: Metathesis
ABS.sg ERG.sg ERG.pl ALL.sg ABS.3sg/sg Special forms
New orthography savik saffup saffit savimmut saffa saffi (ABS.4sg/sg)
Phonemic notation savək sakvup sakvit savəkmut sakva sakvi (ABS.4sg/sg)
Notes on declension:

This stem declines with metathesis, according to Schultz-Lorentzen (1951), although it alternatively also may be declined as a regular k-stem. Note also the special (probably archaic) ABS.4sg/sg form saffi, 'his knife' (which may be derived irrespective of whether the stem is regarded as an ik-stem or an ək-stem: in the former case, [ff] would be from /kv/, derived from metathesis; and in the latter case from [vv], derived from gemination of the single /v/, since the old 4.sg/sg ending N{-i} may trigger either


Stem type: Regular k-stem
Declension type: up-declined
Declension sandhi: Regular
ABS.sg ERG.sg ERG.pl ALL.sg ABS.3sg/sg Special forms
New orthography savik saviup saviit savimmut savia saffi (ABS.4sg/sg)
Phonemic notation savik saviup saviit savikmut savia saffi (ABS.4sg/sg)
Notes on declension:

This is the regular declension, and also the one that is preferred today. Here, we should regard the stem as {savik}, rather than {savək}, which indeed also may be the case, if the declension with metathesis actually is from a different stem. However, the special 4.sg/sg form saffi may still be possible.


Meaning(s)


Meaning Notes
knife