Details

General

Morphemic form: N{-kanniq}N
New orthography: -kanneq
Old orthography: -káneĸ
Combinations: Click here
Variants: V{-kanniq}V,
See also: N{-ŋajak}N,
Left sandhi:
Truncative,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: Weak q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This affix has limited combination potential and does not appear to be used much productively. It is seemingly only used with spatial/areal nouns, or other nouns denoting a position, on which it denotes 'almost on N' or 'more or less'. The meaning is thus similar to that of N{-ŋajak}N, which also seems to be in more productive use today.

In some cases, it even seems to be used like an enclitic, rather than as an affix. Schultz-Lorentzen gives some examples, where it has been added to some particles. This is similar to a few other affixes, in particular N{(q)cuaq}N and N{-(g)innaq}N, which are also sometimes used in this fashion.

Another enclitic-like usage is with spatial/areal nouns in the (unpossessed) allative case, i.e. -mut, -nut. On these, it generally appears to be added onto the case ending, like an enclitic, rather than onto the noun stem before the ending. This oddity is noted both by Kleinschmidt (1871) and Schultz-Lorentzen (1958).

As with these other affixes, we do not record a separate enclitic form of this affix, but merely record the examples of this irregular usage.


Inflection

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

Notes on declension:

All usage examples of this affix only use the unpossessed absolutive singular, or with a 3sg/sg possessive ending N{-a}. Thus, it is unclear how it declines, or whether it is even used with other unpossessed case endings. In the absence of further examples, we record it as a p-declined weak q-stem, since that is the most common, but do not give a full inflection pattern.


Meanings and examples

Only with spatial nouns.

  • isukannia, almost at the end of it
    [4]

    From isu, 'end', and with the absolutive 3sg/sg possessive ending N{-a}.

  • qitikannia, almost on the middle of it
    [4]

    From qiteq, 'middle', and with the absolutive 3sg/sg possessive ending N{-a}.

  • saakanniani, almost in front of it
    [13]

    From {saaq}N, 'area in front', with possessive locative 3sg/sg N{-ani}.

  • kujatikannianit, almost from the south of it
    [13]

    From {kujatə}N, 'area to the south', with possessive ablative 3sg/sg N{-anət}.

  • sanimukanneq, almost to the side
    [13]

    From sanimut, 'to the side'. This is an example of the affix being added directly onto an allative case ending.

  • immakanneq, not so hard!
    [13]

    This is apparently a lexicalised exclamation, also found in Oqaatsit (1997).

  • maannakanneq, almost now; soon, in a moment
    [13]

    From maanna, 'now'. This is an example of the affix being added onto a particle.

  • erniinnakanneq, quite soon
    [4]

    From erniinnaq, 'soon, in a moment'. This is an example of the affix being added onto a particle.


References