Details
General
| Morphemic form: | N{-kutlak}N |
| New orthography: | -kullak |
| Old orthography: | -kutdlak |
| Sources: | [13, 16, 19] |
| Combinations: | View list |
| Variants: | V{-kutlak}V, N{-kulak}N |
| Left sandhi: | Truncative |
| Right sandhi: | Default/none |
| Inflection sandhi: | Default/none |
| Stem type(s): | Regular k-stem |
Description and behaviour
Form and usage:
This affix is a nominal variant of V{-kutlak}V, but the meaning seems to have changed over time:
- Schultz-Lorentzen [16] defines the meaning as 'clumsy/ugly N', and this meaning seems related to the meaning of the verbal affix V{-kutlak}V.
- Oqaatsit [19] defines the meaning as 'big N', and this appears to be the productive sense of this affix.
Inflection
Declension pattern:
| Stem type: | Regular k-stem |
| Declension type: | up-declined |
| Declension sandhi: | Default/none |
| Stem before consonant | Stem before vowel | Notable forms | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New orthography | -kullak | -kulla | -kullak, -kullaap, -kullaat, |
| Phonemic orthography | -kutlak | -kutla | -kutlak, -kutlaup, -kutlait, |
Notes on declension:
This affix is not listed in Ordbogeeraq [17], but that dictionary instead gives a nominalising variant, which inflects like a regular, up-declined k-stem. Presumably, the present affix inflects in the same way.
Meanings and examples
This is the meaning given by Schultz-Lorentzen [16]. However, this meaning may not be productive nowadays.
- issusuukullak, a fat, clumsy person
[16]
From issusooq, 'thick'.
- Maaliakullak, 'Clumsy-Maalia'
[16]
There is no direct translation, but the meaning is negative.
This is the meaning given in Oqaatsit [19], and the affix is presumably productive in this sense.
- angutikullak, a rather big man
[19]
'Big' is here likely in the sense of 'chubby' rather than e.g. 'tall'.
- illukullak, a rather large house
[19]
- qeqertakullak, a rather big island
[19]
- ujarakullak, a rather big rock
[19]
- Nuukullak, a rather big (long) promontory
From nuuk, 'headland/promontory'. This is also the name of an area in Nuuk. In this case, the affix seems to denote 'long', i.e. 'extending rather far out into the sea'.