Details

General

Morphemic form: N{-(g)innaq}N
New orthography: -innaq, -annaq, -ginnaq
Old orthography: -ínaĸ, -gínaĸ, -sínaĸ
Combinations: Click here
Variants: V{-(g)innaq}V,
See also: V{sinnau}V,
Left sandhi:
Default,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: Regular q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This affix denotes 'just (an) N'. It may even be seen attached onto endings, like an enclitic, in cases where the noun is lexicalised with a certain ending.

This affix also has a verbal variant, V{-(g)innaq}V with a similar meaning.


Left sandhi:

The affix is truncative, but it will inject an epenthetic /g/ where phonotactics require epenthesis, rather than the regular /v/. Hence, the form is written as N{**-(g)**innaq}N. This /g/ may be a reflex of an old, initial /ŋ/, since, according to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, the historical form of this morpheme was {ŋinnaʀ(-)}.

In older language and lexicalised constructions, this affix may appear as N{sinnaq}N on q-stems, but this form is not used productively nowadays. However, it can still be seen in the productive affix V{sinnau}V, which is derived from this s-initial form with N{-u}V.


Inflection

Declension pattern
Declension type: up-declined
Declension sandhi: Default/none

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography -innar -inna
-innaq
-innaap
-innaat
Phonemic orthography -(g)innaq -(g)inna
-(g)innaq
-(g)innaup
-(g)innait

Notes on declension:

This affix is one of the few q-stems that are up-declined without being a strong stem; i.e., it declines like a regular k-stem. Hence, vowel-initial endings will delete the final /q/ and consonant-initial endings will join onto the final /q/.


Meanings and examples

Or 'a mere N' or 'merely an N' etc.

  • inuinnaq, just (a) human
  • qallunaaginnaq, just a Dane

    From {qavlunaaq}N 'Dane'. Here the final /aaq/ means that phonotactic epenthesis will require a consonant to be injected, which, for this affix, is /g/, rather than the usual /v/.

  • nalinganuinnaq, only on the amount

    E.g. when you pay with a card and do not want cash return/change, or if the store does not allow you get cash change. The base is nalinganut, 'on the amount', which is actually a lexicalised, possessive allative form. Thus, the affix behaves like an enclitic here.


References