Details

General


Morphemic form: V{(q)gusuk}V
New orthography: -rusuppoq, -kkusuppoq
Old orthography: -rusugpoĸ
Sources: [9, 12, 14, 11]
Combinations: Click here
Constituents: ?, V{suk}V,
See also: V{yuma}V,
Left sandhi:
Default,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: k-stem
Diathesis: None
Valency change: Preserving
Valency:
None,

Description and behaviour


Form and usage:

The meaning of this affix is 'want to Vb'. It is similar in meaning to V{yuma}V, but perhaps signifying a little more bodily desire than V{yuma}V; e.g. kaffisorusuppunga, 'I want to drink coffee' (because I like coffee), and similar. Hence, another possible translation could be 'Subject desires to Vb'. Other meanings could be 'has an urge/desire to Vb' or 'would like to' etc.

Regarding its form, this affix has the form -rusuk- on both vowel stems and q-stems, but -kusuk- on consonant stems. To encode this behaviour, I have given this affix the form V{(q)gusuk}V, with an epenthetic (q). By the standard sandhi rules, (q) will be injected on vowel stems, and /qg/ will then merge to /r/ as usual. Thus, the behaviour of this affix can be described as regular with this form.

Historically, this affix derives from a doubling of the morpheme {yuɣ-}, according to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [16], cf. V{suk}V, and this doubled form would then yield -kusuk- on k-stems and -rusuk- on q-stems. The form on vowel stems is then generalised from the form on q-stems, although the reason for this is unexplained. Hence, we denote the initial component of this affix as unknown. Furthermore, the (q) in V{(q)gusuk}V does not reflect an historical phoneme, but instead reflects this generalisation from uvular bases.


Meanings and examples


Similar in meaning to V{yuma}V, perhaps signifying a little more desire ('desires to Vb') than V{yuma}V. Other meanings could be 'has an urge/desire to Vb' or 'would like to' etc.

  • sinikkusuppoq, he wants to sleep

    From {sinək}V + V{(q)gusuk}V + V{vuq} ⇒ /sinəkgusukvuq/ , illustrating the behaviour on k-stems.

  • sulerusuppoq, he wants to work

    From {suli}V + V{(q)gusuk}V + V{vuq} ⇒ /suliqgusukvuq/, illustrating the behaviour of this affix on a vowel stem: The base is a vowel stem, so the epenthetic (q) is regularly injected, and /qg/ then merge to /r/.

  • tunniukkusuppaa, he wants to give it (to someone)

    From {tunniut(ə)}V + V{(q)gusuk}V + V{vaa} ⇒ /tunniutgusukvaa/, illustrating the behaviour on a t(ə)-stem. The affix is additive, so (ə) is not inserted.

  • illarusuppoq, he is in the mood to laugh [9]

    From illarpoq, 'he laughs'.

  • imerusuppoq, he is thirsty [9]

    From imerpoq, 'he drinks'.

  • takorusunngilaa, he does not want to see it [9]

    From takuaa, 'he sees it', and with the negation affix V{ŋŋit}V.

  • tikikkusukkaluaqaara, I would very much like to come there [9]

    From tikippaa, 'he arrives at it', and with V{galuaq}V and V{-qə}V.