Details

General

Morphemic form: N{-ucaq}N
New orthography: -usaq, -asaq, -jusaq
Old orthography: -ussaĸ
Combinations: Click here
Variants: V{-ucaaq}V, N{-ucaaq}V, N{-ucaaq}N, V{-ucaq}V,
Left sandhi:
Truncative,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: Weak q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This is one of a group of affixes, which are all related either by origin or meaning:

According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, they derive from two different morphemes, which however presumably are related:


Inflection

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

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography -usa -usa
-usaq
-usap
-usat
Phonemic orthography -uca -uca
-ucaq
-ucap
-ucat


Meanings and examples

Or 'looks like', 'imitates' etc.

  • illuusaq, something resembling a house

    e.g. a mountain top

  • inuusaq, doll

    From inuk, 'human', i.e. something resembling a human

  • qajaasaq, Rhododendron groenlandicum

    A type of plant, often in plural qajaasat. It is named after the leaves which are shaped like a kayak (qajaq).

  • isaasat, quotation marks

    From {əcə}N, 'eye' (a true ə-stem so /ə/ becomes [a]). Literally 'things that look like eyes'. This may be influenced from Danish, where they are known as gåseøjne (goose eyes).

  • a-jusaq, @ (the symbol)

    Literally 'something that looks like an a'.

  • angutaasaq, someone that looks like a man

    From angut, 'man' (a tə-stem).

  • arnaasaq, an effeminate man

    From arnaq, 'woman', so literally 'someone who looks/behaves like a woman'.


References