Details
General
| Morphemic form: | N{(q)cuaq}N (Combinations) |
| New orthography: | +suaq, -rsuaq |
| Proto-eskimoic root: | ðuɣaʀ(-) |
| Variants: | V{(q)cuaq}V |
| Morpheme type: | Nominal modifier |
| Left sandhi: | ə-eliding (additive) |
| Right sandhi: | aq-dropping |
Description
Form and usage:
This stem is aq-dropping before all vowel-initial endings, and also before N{-u}V. See also N{ŋŋuaq}N and V{galuaq}N, which behave similarly.
Left sandhi:On tə-stems it it may (optionally) elide /ə/ and be affixed directly to /t/, e.g. {aputə}N, 'snow' ⇒ apussuaq (rather than the usual aputersuaq).
Declension information
| Stem type: | Regular q-stem |
| Declension type: | up-declined |
| Declension sandhi: | Irregular |
| ABS.sg | ERG.sg | ERG.pl | ALL.sg | ABS.3sg/sg | Special forms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New orthography | +(r)suaq | +(r)suup | +(r)suit | +(r)suarmut | +(r)sua | |
| Phonemic notation | (q)cuaq | (q)cuup | (q)cuit | (q)cuaqmut | (q)cua |
The stem is up-declined, and thus drops /aq/ before N{-up} and N{-it}, as well as before all other vowel-initial endings, but otherwise it behaves regularly. In other words, with consonant-initial endings, it behaves like a regular q-stem, but with vowel-initial endings (and the affix N{-u}V), it behaves like a regular k-stem {(q)cuk}. This is in contrast to the two other, similarly behaving affixes, N{ŋŋuaq}N and V{galuaq}N, which are both weak q-stems.
Meaning(s)
| Meaning | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| big (bad) N | Sometimes (but not always) with negative connotations of 'bad N', seemingly if used on living entities. | Examples |
| bad (big) N | If used on living entities, the meaning of 'bad' rather than 'big' seems to be more natural. | Examples |
| emphasis | On nouns indicating a state of being or direction. In the latter case, it may even be added onto stems with prepositional or possessive endings, and thus rather resemble an enclitic than an affix. | Examples |