Details

General

Morphemic form: V{niaq}N
New orthography: +niaq
Old orthography: -niaĸ
Combinations: Click here
Variants: V{niaq}V,
Left sandhi:
Default,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Geminating,
Stem type: Weak q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This affix is a nominal variant of V{niaq}V, meaning 'one who tries/strives to Vb'. Hence, it is semantically equivalent to the combination V{niaq}V{ðuq}N. It may not be very productive in use, but it does appear in some combinations. It seems to be mostly used to express 'hunt for' in combination with the non-productive affix N{(t)}V, 'catch N'.


Inflection

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

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography +nia +nia
+niaq
+niap
+niat
Phonemic orthography nia nia
niaq
niap
niat


Meanings and examples

Primarily in connexion with verbs for hunting; especially those derived from words for animals with N{(t)}V.

  • tuttunniaq, a caribou hunter
    [8]

    i.e. one who tries to catch a caribou.

  • nannunniaq, a polar bear hunter

    i.e. one who tries to catch a polar bear.

  • terianniaq, fox

    From teriaq, 'mouse', so literally 'mouse-hunter'.

  • arfanniat, whale-catcher ship
    [4]

    Note that the word here is plural, arfanniat, because ships, like other vehicles, were previously referred to as plural, even if only a single ship was meant.


References