Details

General

Morphemic form: N{-lək}N
New orthography: -lik
Old orthography: -lik
Combinations: Click here
See also: N{-qaq}V,
Left sandhi:
Truncative,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Limited metathesis,
Metathesis,
Stem type: Regular k-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This affix means 'one equipped with N' or 'one who/that has N' or similar. Thus, it is semantically equivalent to the combination N{-qaq}V{ðuq}N, i.e. 'one/something who has N', but N{-lək}N seems to always be preferred over this combination. It is a very common affix, used in many constructions.


Inflection sandhi:

Like a handful of other stems ending in /ək/, it displays a limited form of metathesis, but only in the grammatical cases, where it takes N{-ip} and N{-it}. Apart from this, it declines like a regular k-stem. This peculiar behaviour is then of course inherited by all stems formed with this affix.

As with the other stems in /ək/, this stem originally displayed true metathesis and took the N{-up} ending in ergative singular; i.e. /-klup/, /-klit/, /-kla/ etc. (i.e. -llup, -llit, -lla in the new orthography), but this is no longer the case. This can be seen in some older texts in the old orthography, e.g. igdlorpagssuagdlup with up-declension, rather than the more common ip-declension, which is seen today. However, a trace of this metathesis is seen in the old orthography, even with ip-declension, where the ergative and plural endings are -gdlip, -gdlit, with this 'g' being a reflex of the final /k/ that has moved inwards, to the other side of the /l/.


Inflection

Declension pattern
Declension type: ip-declined
Declension sandhi: Limited metathesis

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography -lik -li
-lik
-llip
-llit
Phonemic orthography -lek -lə
-lək
-klip
-klit

Notes on declension:

This is the declension with limited metathesis (ip-declined). This is the regular declension used today with this affix.


Declension pattern
Declension type: up-declined
Declension sandhi: Metathesis

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography -lik -ll
-lik
-llup
-llit
Phonemic orthography -lek -kl
-lək
-klup
-klit

Notes on declension:

This is the declension with metathesis (up-declined). It is not used regularly today, but may be seen in older texts, and possibly with some mixing with the ip-declension forms.


Meanings and examples

  • aputilik, a place with snow
    [8]

  • savalimmiut, The Faroe Islands

    Literally 'those from a place with sheep'.

  • savaatilik, a sheep farmer

    From {sava}N{-utə}N{-lək}N, literally 'one who has (owned) sheep'.

  • qajalik, someone with a kayak
    [4]

  • aningaasaatilik, someone with money
    [4]

    From aningaasaq, 'coin' with N{-utə}N to denote ownership.

  • illu qalialik, a house with a roof
    [4]

  • umiarsuit pingasullit, a ship with three (masts)
    [4]

    This is an old-fashioned example, since the ship is in plural, even though only a singular ship is meant. Today, umiarsuaq pingasulik would likely be preferred.


References