Details

General

Morphemic form: V{llammak}N
New orthography: -llammak
Old orthography: -tdlámak
Combinations: Click here
Constituents: V{llaq}V, ?,
See also: V{(m)maaq}N,
Left sandhi:
Default,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: Regular k-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The meaning of this affix is 'one who is good/accomplished at Vb'ing'. The affix is listed in Oqaatsit (1997) and in Ordbogeeraq (1967), but does not appear in older dictionaries, nor in the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary. Thus, it must be a recent formation, but its origin is unclear. Because of the old-orthography spelling, I suspect that the first component must be V{llaq}V, but the second component is unknown. There are some examples listed in Schultz-Lorentzen (1958) under the entry for '-mâĸ, which I believe to actually be from the present affix, but the relationship with this affix, if any, is unclear.


Inflection sandhi:

The declension is indicated in Ordbogeeraq (1967) as taking N{-up} and N{-it} in ergative and plural. It gives the examples merssutdlámaup, pitdlámait. Presumably, the declension is as a regular k-stem.


Inflection

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

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography -llammak -llamma
-llammak
-llammaap
-llammaat
Phonemic orthography llammak llamma
llammak
llammaup
llammait


Meanings and examples

  • ikiuutillammak, one who is good at helping out
    [8]

    From ikiuuppoq, 'he is helping out'. Note, this is a t(ə)-stem, and since the affix is necessarily truncative, it attaches to /ə/.

  • arnaq mersullammak, an accomplished seamstress
    [8]

    From arnaq, 'woman', and mersorpoq, 'he sows'.

  • sanallammak, one who is skilled at carpentry
    [8]

    From sanavoq, 'he makes something' or 'he does carpentry'.

  • naalliullammaavoq, he has much experience with suffering
    [4]

    This example is listed in Schultz-Lorentzen (1958) under '-mâĸ, but I believe it is wrongly classified. The affix '-mâĸ does not delete a final consonant, so the segment '-llamma-' could not have been formed from V{llaq}V and '-mâĸ. Hence, I believe this example is actually from the present affix instead. It is formed from naalliuppoq, 'he suffers', and with the present affix followed by N{-u}V.


References