Details

General


Morphemic form: V{sinnau}V (Combinations)
New orthography: +sinnaavoq
Proto-eskimoic root: ŋinnaʀ(-)
Constituents: N{-(g)innaq}N + N{-u}V
Morpheme type: Verbal modifier
Left sandhi: Default (additive, epenthetic or phonotactically truncative)
Right sandhi: None

Description


Form and usage:

Historically apparently a combination of {ŋinnaʀ} and {u-}, according to Fortescue et al. (2010). It is not explained how the initial /ŋ/ became /s/, but it appears to be (or have been) used on q-stems. However, this change seems to be fairly recent: at the time of Otto Fabricius, the form -ginnau- with initial /g/ rather than /s/ was still in use, as seen in his translation of the Old Testament.


Verb stem


Right sandhi: Regular
Valency: Valency-preserving
Diathesis: Unaltered (same as the stem)

Meaning(s)


Meaning Notes
can Vb This affix expresses the ability of the subject to Vb, so it could also be translated as 'is able to Vb'. Examples