Details

General

Morphemic form: N{-Vraq}N
New orthography: -eraq, -oraq
Old orthography: -eraĸ, -oraĸ
Sources: [14, 11]
Combinations: Click here
Variants: N{-araq}N,
See also: N{-aq}N,
Left sandhi:
Irregular,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Geminating,
Stem type: Weak q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This is a diminutive affix meaning 'small', but when used with nouns for living entities it may additionally have connotations of 'young N' or 'child'. It is a mostly non-productive morpheme, which is found in some lexicalised words. The productive variant N{-araq}N is used instead today.


Left sandhi:

The affix is truncative. /V/ represents a lengthening of the preceding vowel sound; thus, if the preceding vowel is /i/ then this affix takes the form /iraq/, and if the preceding vowel is /u/ then it takes the form /uraq/. In either case, the lengthened vowel will then be regularly uvularised by the following /r/. Even if this vowel is a /ə/, which has taken the sound [i], the result will be [ii], which will then be uvularised to [ɜɜ].

If the preceding vowel is /a/, then the form is /araq/, which is indistinguishable from the productive variant N{-araq}N.


Inflection sandhi:

The affix is a weak q-stem and it has regular gemination of /r/ to [qq].


Inflection

Declension pattern
Declension type: p-declined
Declension sandhi: Geminating
Gemination type: r⇒qq

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography -eqqa -era
-eraq
-eqqap
-eqqat
New orthography -oqqa -ora
-oraq
-oqqap
-oqqat
Phonemic orthography -Vrra -Vra
-Vraq
-Vrrap
-Vrrat


Meanings and examples

Sometimes with connotations of 'young' or 'child' when used on living entities.

  • ineeraq, a small room

    From {inə}N, 'room'. Notice how the sound [i] is lengthened, without altering /ə/ to [a].

  • saveeraq, a small knife [11]

    From savik, 'knife'.

  • inooraq, a small person

    From inuk, 'human/person'.