Details

General

Morphemic form: N{-ucijaq}N
New orthography: -usiaq, -asiaq, -jusiaq
Old orthography: -ussiaĸ
Combinations: Click here
Left sandhi:
Truncative,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Geminating,
Stem type: Weak q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This affix means 'an artificially made N' such as e.g. a model or figure of N.

The morpheme is not listed in the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, nor in Schultz-Lorentzen (1958), so the origin is unclear. It is listed in Ordbogêraĸ as -ussiaĸ, however, where the author seems to suggest that it is formed from -uvoĸ and -ssiaĸ, and further suggesting that the latter is a variant of -iaĸ. Unfortunately, there are three different affixes with the form -iaĸ, and the entry does not specify which one it is.

However, since -uvoĸ is N{-u}V, i.e. an N-V affix, then -iaĸ must be a V-N affix. The only such affix is the one corresponding to -riaq, -giaq in the new orthography, i.e. the mostly non-productive morpheme V{-rijaq}N. However, that affix denotes 'place where Vb', which does not at all make sense w.r.t. the meaning of the current affix, which seems to align much better with e.g. N{-lijaq}N, meaning 'a made N'. But that is an N-N affix, which cannot attach to N{-u}V.

Alternatively, Schultz-Lorentzen (1958) has the N-N affix -ussaĸ with a similar meaning, but this affix of course does not contain /i/, so it is unclear whether it is related to this affix. Thus, regardless of how we look at it, the the origin of this affix is unclear. I have therefore not recorded it as a combination.


Inflection sandhi:

Assuming the second morpheme in fact is -iaĸ, i.e. either -riaq or -liaq, this affix will geminate /j/ to [cc].


Inflection

Declension pattern
Declension type: p-declined
Declension sandhi: Geminating
Gemination type: j⇒cc

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography -usissa -usia
-usiaq
-usissap
-usissat
Phonemic orthography -ucijja -ucija
-ucijaq
-ucijjap
-ucijjat


Meanings and examples

E.g. a figure, model etc.

  • illuusiaq, a kind of house
  • inuusiaq, a mannequin

    Or 'figure of a human'.

  • nanuusiaq, a polar bear figure
  • qarasaasiaq, computer

    From qarasaq, 'brain'


References