Details

General

Morphemic form: V{'-vik}N
New orthography: -vik
Old orthography: -vik
Combinations: Click here
Variants: V{(v)vik}N,
Left sandhi:
Truncative,
Geminating,
Right sandhi:
Assibilation (t⇒s),
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: Regular k-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

A mostly non-productive variant of V{(v)vik}N, which however is used in a number of lexicalised constructions. The meaning is the same: the place where (or, more rarely, the time when) the verbal action takes place.

However, this affix seems to be preferred when the the Language Secretariat creates new lexicalisations of technical terms; possibly to allow them to be distinguished from similarly constructed words with a more general meaning. It is seemingly seldom used on consonant stems (but see the examples ingerlatsivik and Upernavik).


Left sandhi:

The affix will geminate a single consonant at the start of the preceding syllable in the stem, if there is one. However, if that consonant already is double, then gemination is impossible.

Note that the if the geminating consonant is one of the fricatives /vlsjgr/, then rare form of devoicing will be used, i.e


Inflection

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

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography -vik -vi
-vik
-viup
-viit
Phonemic orthography '-vik '-vi
'-vik
'-viup
'-viit


Meanings and examples

This is the most common meaning of this affix.

  • iggavik, kitchen

    From igavoq, 'he cooks food', so literally 'place where one cooks food'. Note that the affix here causes gemination of /g/ to /gg/. The form iggavik is an alternative to the (regularly constructed) igaffik, formed with the productive variant V{(v)vik}N.

  • nerrivik, table

    From {nərə}V 'eat', so literally 'a place where one eats'. However, here we see that the non-productive variant V{'-vik}N is used to create this noun (with gemination of /r/ to /rr/), and this word is lexicalised in the more specialised sense of table, compared to the regularly formed word neriffik, which then can retain the more general sense of 'place where on eats' (which could be any place - e.g. a picknic spot) without causing ambiguity w.r.t. whether the word is meant in a general or specific sense.

  • ingerlatsivik, administration (governmental office)

    As in e.g. 'The School Administration'. From ingerlappaa, 'he drives it forward', which is a t(ə)-stem {iŋiqlat(ə)}V. As the affix is truncative, (ə) is inserted, and it causes gemination of /t/, so we get /iŋiqlattəvik/.

  • Upernavik, the spring-place (town name)

    From upernarpoq, 'it has become spring'. This example illustrates that the affix indeed is truncative. Note that as the consonant in the stem upernarpoq already is doubled, no gemination is possible.

  • qimarnguik, escape shelter

    Especially nowadays in the sense of a safe place for women escaping from abusive relationships. From qimarnguvoq, 'he seeks shelter', and again, the stem consonant is already double so no gemination is possible. Note /uvi/ is written 'ui' as usual.

  • inuuik, birth place
    [8]

    From inuuvoq, 'he is alive'. Note: [uvi] is written 'ui' as usual. Also, unexpectedly, the single /n/ is not affected by gemination.

  • qammavik, hunting grounds
    [4]

    From qamavaa, 'he lies hiding, waiting for it', so literally the place where one lies waiting for the animal to appear. Note, the affix cause /m/ to geminate to /mm/.

  • napparsimmavik, hospital
    [4]

    From the stem napparsima-, 'to be ill', so literally 'place where one is ill' (presumably formed as a translation of Danish 'sygehus'). As in the other cases, we see gemination of /m/ to /mm/ in the stem.

  • sannavik, workshop
    [4]

    From {sana}V, 'to make/craft something' with gemination of /n/ to /nn/ in the stem.

  • singitsivia, the place where he put the boat in the water
    [4]

    From the HTR-form of singippaa, 'he puts it (a vessel) in the water'.

  • toqquvik, place of death
    [4]

    I.e., the place where someone has died. From toquvoq, he died.

This is a less common meaning of this affix.

  • inuuik, birth date
    [4]

    Note: [uvi] is written 'ui' as usual. Also, unexpectedly, the single /n/ is not affected by gemination.

  • toqquvik, time of death
    [4]

    From {tuqu}V, where the affix has caused /q/ to geminate to /qq/. The more common form toquffik is also possible.

  • singitsivia, the time when he put the boat in the water
    [4]

    From the HTR-form of singippaa, 'he puts the it (a vessel) in the water'.


References