Details

General

Morphemic form: V{(t)siq}V
New orthography: -tserpaa, +serpaa, -tsiivoq, +siivoq
Old orthography: -tserpoĸ, -serpoĸ, -tsîvoĸ, -sîvoĸ
Combinations: Click here
See also: V{(t)siriaq}V, V{(t)siriit}V,
Left sandhi:
Default,
Irregular,
Right sandhi:
Assibilation (t⇒s),
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: q-stem
Diathesis: Reflexive
Valency change: Increasing
Valency:
Divalent,
HTR morpheme:
ði,
HTR stem: (t)sii,

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The meaning of this affix is 'Agent waits for Patient to Vb'. It increases the valency of the stem by adding a new Agent role and equating the underlying Actor role of the stem with the Patient role of the affix. Note that if the stem is avalent (e.g. apivoq, 'it is snowing'), then the resulting stem will take a transitive form (e.g. apitserpaa), even though there is no real object, and it will thus just be marked as 3rd person, singular, with no explicit referent in the sentence.

The HTR-form of this affix is V{(t)sii}V as expected. However, this form is also (unexpectedly) used on its own as a divalent stem with a slightly different meaning, so we also record it as a variant.

The affix has a peculiar left-sandhi feature: the initial /s/ does not assimilate a preceding /t/. This apparent irregularity is only due to a notational conflict: I normally note unassimilated /t/ followed by an s-sound as /tc/, because they most often arise from a combination /tð/. However, according to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, the historic form of this morpheme is {c(c)iʀ-}, so in combination with t-stems and t(ə)-stems, this would indeed yield /tc/. However, when following a k-stem or q-stem, the initial consonant is spelt with a single 's' in the old orthography, i.e. -gs- or -rs-, which indicates that the sound is a normal [s], and not a 'thick s', [ʃ], which would have been spelt -ss-. Hence, the morphemic form must be {(t)siq}, because if it were written as {(t)ciq} it would indicate that the initial sound would be [ʃ] k-stem and q-stems, but this is not the case according to the old orthography.


Left sandhi:

The affix is regularly epenthetic, i.e. (t) is inserted on vowel stems. However, the initial /s/ will not assimilate a preceding /t/, i.e. either if the epenthetic /t/ is inserted or if the preceding stem ends in /t/ (or t(ə), since the affix is additive.). In both these cases, the form will therefore be -tser-. Thus, the forms will be as follows:


Meanings and examples

  • apitserpaa, he waits for the snow to start falling
    [8]

    I.e. he waits for 'it' to start snowing. This dummy object 'it' is the same as the dummy subject of the underlying avalent stem apivoq, 'it snows'.

  • tikitserpaa, he waits for him to arrive
    [8]

    From {təkit}V, so /t/ is not assimilated.

  • ajorunnaarserpaa, he waits for him to get well
    [8]

  • unnusserpaa, he waits for evening to come
    [8]

    I.e., he waits for 'it' to become evening. From {unnuk}V, so /ks/ assimilate.

  • ilaatserpoq, he waits to come along
    [4]

  • soraarserniarpara, I want to wait for him to finish
    [4]

    Or 'end' or 'resign'.

  • inginniarit uannut nalunaarfigitserlutit, sit (thou) down until I notify thee
    [4]

    Literally '(thou) awaiting thyself being notified by me'. This is a 'double-transitive'/reflexive construction, with the underlying Agent given in the allative case (uannut, 'by me').

  • inginniarit ilinnut nalunaarserlunga, sit (thou) down until I notify thee
    [4]

    Literally '(thou) awaiting me to give notice to thee'.

  • qalatsiivoq, he waits for it to be boiled
    [4]

    I.e., the food. Using the HTR-form -tsii- to give the stem intransitive form. From {qalat}V, so /t/ is not assimilated.

  • sissami qamasarpugut timmissanik avannamukarsiilluta, we sit at the beach, (we) awaiting birds to fly north
    [4]

    Using the HTR-form -sii- to give the stem intransitive form. The object (timmissanik, 'birds') is reintroduced in the Instrumental case.


References