Details

General

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

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This affix is used to describe the place, or, more rarely, the time of a verbal action; or, in a few cases, even the person who is the target of the verbal action. It is a highly productive affix in the first sense, and many ordinary, lexicalised words are also formed with it.

The affix is epenthetic, so it will always start with a devoiced, doubled /vv/, which always become [ff]. Note also the mostly non-productive variant V{'-vik}N with the same meaning, which causes gemination in the preceding stem.

In the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, the reconstructed historical form of this affix is ðviɣ, so the epenthetic consonant might instead be written as (ð) instead; i.e., the morphemic form might be written as V{(ð)vik}N instead. However, I have decided to omit this, since it is uncertain and makes no practical difference for the modern-day behaviour of this affix. Furthermore, an alternative hypothesis for the source of the epenthetic consonant, is that it is actually the result of gemination of V{'-vik}N, but displaced onto the initial /v/, rather than occurring further back in the stem. This would also be consistent with the modern-day behaviour of this affix.


Left sandhi:

Note that /vv/ always become [ff], never [pp], unlike virtually every other v-initial morpheme.


Inflection

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

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography +fik +fi
+fik
+fiup
+fiit
Phonemic orthography (v)vik (v)vi
(v)vik
(v)viup
(v)viit


Meanings and examples

Or 'place where the verbal action happens'. This is the most common meaning of this affix.

  • igaffik, kitchen

    From igavoq, 'he cooks food', so literally 'place where one cooks food'.

  • atorfik, (job) position
    [4]

    From atorpoq, 'it is used', so literally: 'place where one is used'. This meaning is lexicalised.

  • nunaliffik, landing-place
    [4]

    Or 'harbour', i.e. the place where one makes land.

  • toquffik, death-place
    [4]

    I.e., the place where someone died.

  • aalisarfik, fishing-place
    [4]

  • naalagaaffik, realm
    [4]

    Literally 'place that (is) a regent'.

  • kunngeqarfik, kingdom
    [4]

    Literally 'place that has a king'.

  • pisiniarfik, store
    [4]

    Literally 'place where one intends to buy (something)'.

  • atuarfik, school
    [4]

    Lexicalised, literally 'place where one reads'.

  • oqaluffik, church
    [4]

    Lexicalised, literally 'place where one speaks' (i.e., the priest, preaching from the pulpit).

  • nerlerfia, the place where he caught/shot a goose
    [4]

    With Absolutive 3.sg/sg possessive ending N{-a}, literally 'his goose-catching place'.

  • puisinniarfik, seal-catching place

    From puisinniarpoq, 'he catches seals'.

Or 'time when the verbal action happens'. This meaning is less common than 'place'.

  • toquffik, time of death
    [4]

    I.e., the time when someone died. Note that, as illustrates in the examples for the 'place' meaning, this word could also mean 'place of death'.

  • puisinniarfik, seal-catching season
    [4]

    From puisinniarpoq, 'he catches seals'. Note that, as illustrates in the examples for the 'place' meaning, this word could also mean 'place for catching seals'.

Or 'target of the verbal action'. This is the least common of the meanings, and it borders on the meanings of the participles V{-ðaq}N, V{ðuq}N, and V{ðə}N. This usage is likely not productive nowadays.

  • Jiisusi upperfiga, Jesus, (the one who) I believe in

    From upperpoq ,'he is (religiously) believing (in something)' and with ABS.1sg/sg ending N{ga}, 'my N'. The use of the affix in this sense is quite rare with possessive endings. More commonly, this would be expressed by combination with a participle and N{-gə}V.

  • naalaffiga, the one I obey
    [4]

    From naalappoq, 'he obeys', and with ABS.1sg/sg ending N{ga}, 'my N'.


References