Details

General


Morphemic form: N{(q)cuaq}N
New orthography: +suaq, -rsuaq
Proto-eskimoic root: ðuɣaʀ(-)
Morpheme type: Nominal modifier
Left sandhi: ə-eliding (additive)
Right sandhi: aq-dropping

Description


Form:

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).


Noun stem


Stem type: Strong q-stem
Declension type: up-declined
Declension sandhi: Regular
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
Notes on declension:

The stem is up-declined, and thus drops /aq/ before N{-up} and N{-it}, as well as before all other vowel-initial endings. With consonant-initial endings it behaves like a strong q-stem. 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'. Examples