Details

General

Morphemic form: N{tu}V
New orthography: +tuvoq, +suvoq, +tooq, +sooq
Old orthography: -tuvoĸ, -suvoĸ, -tôĸ, -sôĸ
Sources: [9, 12, 11, 14]
Combinations: Click here
See also: N{-kit}V, N{-ləkcuu}V,
Left sandhi:
Default,
ə-eliding,
Right sandhi:
/uq/ participle,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: Vowel stem
Diathesis: Subjective
Valency change: None
Valency:
Monovalent,

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This affix means 'Actor has (a) big N' or 'Actor has many N', i.e. denoting a large size or quantity of N. It is the antonym of N{-kit}V, 'has (a) small/few N'.

The affix normally attaches to noun stems, but there are a few examples of it also being used on verbal stems. For example, Schultz-Lorentzen [11] gives the examples orĸartuvoĸ, oĸatdlortuvoĸ, 'he brags' or 'he speaks for a long time'. However, this formation is not regular, and it would normally be expressed with the compound affix V{nəqtu}V instead.


Left sandhi:

The affix is normally additive, but there are a few examples where this affix seems to have elided a preceding /ə/ when used on true ə-stems. However, this behaviour is likely not productive nowadays.


Right sandhi:

Instead of using the conventional intransitive participle V{ðuq}N, this affix instead uses the morpheme {uq}, thus giving the nominal form -tooq, 'one with a big/many N'. See N{tuuq}N for this construction.


Meanings and examples

  • qingartuvoq, he has a big nose [11]

    From qingaq, 'nose'.

  • isituvoq, he has big eyes [11]

    From isi, 'eye'. Note, here we assume that he has two eyes, but the meaning could also be 'he has a big eye', or even 'he has many eyes', if it concerned e.g. some mythological being.

  • akisuvoq, it is expensive [11]

    From aki, 'price', so literally: 'it has a big price'. The /t/ is assibilated to /s/ because of the preceding true /i/ in the stem. From this we also get akisooq, 'expensive', using the participle form of this affix.

  • isumatuvoq, he is thoughtful; he is a deep thinker [11]

    From isuma, 'mind; thought'.

  • qaqqartuvoq, it has big/many mountains [11]

    I.e., when speaking of a landmass, area, island etc.

  • pisuvoq, he has many things [11]

    From the dummy root {pi}N, giving the pure meaning of the affix. The /t/ is assibilated to /s/ because of the preceding true /i/ in the stem. From this we also get pisooq, 'rich', using the participle form of this affix, and piumatooq, 'greedy', with V{yuma}V, 'want to', literally 'someone who wants to have much'.

  • mattuvoq, it is tough/hard [11]

    Old orthography: mavtuvoĸ. From {mamə}N, 'blubber on the inside of a seal skin'. Here the affix seems to have elided /ə/ and attached directly to /m/.