Details
General
| Morphemic form: | V{-a}V |
| New orthography: | -avoq |
| Old orthography: | -avoĸ |
| Combinations: | Click here |
| Left sandhi: | Truncative,
|
| Right sandhi: | Default/none,
|
| Inflection sandhi: | Default/none,
|
| Stem type: | Vowel stem |
| Diathesis: | None |
| Valency change: | Preserving |
| Valency: | None,
|
Description and behaviour
Form and usage:
This is a non-productive morpheme found in some lexicalised words, and in lexicalised combinations with other affixes. It seems to have two different meanings, and it is not clear whether it is actually originally two different morphemes, that have become homonymous in Kalaallisut, or whether both meanings originally derive from the same meaning.
- The Comparative Eskimo Dictionary lists its historic ancestor as meaning 'repeatedly', but also mentions that it in several of the daughter languages rather means 'several
Subjects Vb' or 'Vb several times'. This meaning is also mentioned in the affix list by Fortescue (1983). Kleinschmidt (1871) seems to agree, when the affix is used in plural, but also notes that it seemingly can mean something like 'persistently'. - Schultz-Lorentzen (1958) describes it thus: '[it] gives the stem a particular meaning; possibly related to -javoĸ', but he does not attempt to actually define its meaning. However, the examples he gives seem to fit with Kleinschmidt's suggestion of 'persistently'.
We shall here record the affix with both meanings.
Meanings and examples
Or 'Subject Vb and continues to do so', according to Kleinschmidt (1871).
- neriavoq, he is greedy
[4]
Or perhaps 'eating greedily', from nerivoq, 'he eats'. So seemingly, 'he eats and continues to do so'.
- issiavoq, he is sitting
[4]
From issippoq, 'he sits down'. This describes the action of sitting down, i.e. a change of state, whereas issiavoq denotes the state of being seated.
- nilliavoq, he is screaming
[4]
From nillerpoq, 'he emits a scream'. This describes a single event, whereas nilliavoq seems to describes a state of continuous screaming.
Given this meaning, the affix is only used with endings in plural in this sense.
- isaapput, they enter (in groups)
[4]
From {isəq}V, '
Subjectenters'. This is an old, lexicalised combination, where the /ə/ became [a] before tha vowel, after the /q/ was deleted. - issaapput, they sit down (all together)
[4]
From {iksək}V, '
Subjectsits down'. This is an old, lexicalised combination, where the /ə/ became [a] before tha vowel, after the /k/ was deleted. Compare issiavoq, where this has not happened, and which therefore likely is newer.
References
- [2] Michael Fortescue (1983): A comparative manual of affixes for the Inuit dialects of Greenland, Canada and Alaska.
- [4] C.W. Schultz-Lorentzen (1958): Den Grønlandske Ordbog.
- [6] Jonathan Petersen (1967): Ordbogêraĸ.
- [13] Samuel Kleinschmidt (1871): Den grønlandske Ordbog.