Details

General

Morphemic form: N{-qaq}V
New orthography: -qarpoq
Old orthography: -ĸarpoĸ
Sources: [9, 12, 11, 14]
Combinations: Click here
See also: N{-lək}N, N{-gə}V,
Left sandhi:
Truncative,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: q-stem
Diathesis: Subjective
Valency change: None
Valency:
Avalent,
Monovalent,

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This affix has two, related meanings; one avalent, and one monovalent:

In the avalent sense, the location where there is N, can be specified as an impersonal subject (in the absolutive case), or it can be specified as a modifier (in the locative case). For example:

Both sentences mean 'there is snow on the mountain'. According to Nielsen [8], the difference is one of focus: he claims that the incorporated noun, here aput, 'snow', has more focus in the second sentence than in the first. However, this difference will often be insignificant.

Alianable possession:
The affix is, in a sense, similar to a possessive ending: it can either denote that the Actor has N as part of himself, or that Actor has N in his possession. This difference is indicated with N{-utə}N. Compare the following, cited from Kleinschmidt [9]:

See further under the affix N{-utə}N.

Stranded object modifier:
As with other noun-incorporating affixes, a modifier of the incorporated noun can be added in the instrumental case, i.e. -mik (singular) or -nik (plural). Compare the following:

Here, illu, 'house', is the head noun; mikisoq, '(something) small' is the modifier.

The incorporated noun acts as an object, in particular in the monovalent sense. As with other incorporated nouns, this noun is normally defocused, and can hence often be translated as indefinite. It is also numberless, since number is indicated by endings, and thr incorporated noun stem (obviously) does not contain an ending (since it is a stem). Thus, illoqarpunga could either be translated as 'I have a house' or 'I have houses'.

However, if a modifier is present, it can indicate the number, by itself being either singular or plural. Thus:

Thus, the number of the instrumental modifier indicates the number of the incorporated noun stem. This is general for noun-incorporating affixes, but it is particularly common with the present affix, due to its high-frequency usage, so we mention it here.


Meanings and examples

This meaning is avalent and can only be used with a 3sg (or 4sg) ending, without any explicit specification of the Subject.

  • qaqqani aputeqarpoq, there is snow on the mountains

    This could equivalently be expressed as qaqqat aputeqarput, in a monovalent sense, where qaqqat 'the mountains' instead act as an explicit subject specification.

  • anguterpassuaqarpoq, there is a lot of men

    From {aŋutə}N and N{(q)vakcuaq}N.

This meaning is monovalent.

  • illoqarpunga, I have (a) house

    From illu, 'house'. Note that the incorporated noun has no number, so it can also mean 'I have (several) houses'. The distinction between singular and plural can only be made, if a modifier is added to the incorporated noun (in the instrumental case).

  • qaqortumik illoqarpunga, I have a (single) white house

    Here qaqortumik functions as a modifier to the incorporated noun illu. Because the ending is singular, N{mək}, it signifies that the incorporated noun also should be understood as singular; hence I only have a single house. Had it instead been qaqortunik illoqarpunga, the plural ending N{nək} on the modifier would signify that I have several white houses.

  • savaateqarpoq, he has (some) sheep (that he owns) [9]

    From sava, 'sheep', here with N{-utə}N added to indicate possession. In contrast, if it were omitted, savaqarpoq could mean 'there are sheep' (in the avalent sense).