Details

General

Morphemic form: N{taq}N
New orthography: +taq, +saq
Old orthography: -taĸ, -saĸ
Combinations: Click here
Variants: N{caq}N,
See also: {ila}N,
Left sandhi:
Default,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: Weak q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This is a so-called partitive affix, used to denote that an N (to which this affix is added) is a part of some larger whole. With inanimate objects this affix may also be translated as 'consists of N', if N e.g. is a type of material. The affix is commonly used with possessive endings or with the 'verbal possessive' affix N{-gə}V. See also the partitive stem {ila}N, which is used for the same purpose. There is also a special variant of of this affix, N{caq}N, which is used in comparative/superlative constructions.


Inflection

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

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography +ta +ta
+taq
+tap
+tat
Phonemic orthography ta ta
taq
tap
tat

Notes on declension:

Most commonly used with possessive endings.


Meanings and examples

  • angutitaq, a male member

    Of some unspecified group. Often, the group would be specified with possessive endings, as in the other examples.

  • initaq, an adjacent room

    Or 'room pertaining/belonging to' something, here unspecified, e.g. an apartment.

  • arnartarput, our female member

    I.e. the (singular) member of our group, who is female, from {aqnaq}N, and with ABS.1pl/sg ending N{(q)vut}. Thus 'we' (1pl) is the whole of which the female is a part.

  • illup qisuttaa, the part of the house (made of) wood
    [11]

    Or 'the wooden part of the house'. Here the house, illup is the possessor, denoting the whole of which qisuk, 'wood' is a part.


References