Details

General

Description and behaviour

This is a non-productive affix, mostly found in lexicalised combinations with directional stems such as these:

• siulleq, 'first', literally: 'the foremost',
• kangilleq, 'the eastern(most)',
• kingulleq, 'last', literally: 'the one farthest behind',
• tulleq, 'next', from {tuŋə}N, 'direction of' (drop of /ə/).

On directional stems ending in /ə/, this affix may optionally elide /ə/. Some examples:

• {tuŋə}N, 'direction' ⇒ tulleq, 'next'
• {kətə}N, 'area west' ⇒ killeq, 'the western(most)'
• {kujatə}N, 'area south' ⇒ kujalleq, 'the southern(most)'
• {atə}N, 'area below' ⇒ alleq, 'the lowest'
• {qulə}N, 'area above' ⇒ qulleq, 'the highest'

It seems that in some cases, the epenthetic consonant has been (q) rather than (l), or the affix has even been used in the form {qliq} instead. For example, from siu is also derived siorleq, 'the foremost', and from talerpik is derived talerperleq, 'the one to the right'. In the latter case, the final consonant /k/ has been deleted, suggesting that the form of the affix was {qliq}, rather than {(q)liq}. However, as these formations are all lexicalised, I shall not record {qliq} as a separate form of this affix.

Inflection

Declension pattern

Meanings and examples

References

• [4] C.W. Schultz-Lorentzen (1958): Den Grønlandske Ordbog.
• [11] Stig Bjørnum (2003): Grønlandsk Grammatik.