Details

General

Morphemic form: V{-gaq}V
New orthography: -garpoq
Old orthography: -garpoĸ
Sources: [11, 12]
Combinations: Click here
See also: V{-raq}V, V{-aq}V,
Left sandhi:
Truncative,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: q-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, where it denotes 'repeated action'. According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, it derives from a proto-inuit morpheme {ʀaq-}, which also is the root of a different affix V{-raq}V with a somewhat related meaning. They also mention a relation to {aʀ-}, i.e. V{-aq}V, with a similar meaning, although the nature of this relationship is unexplained therein.


Left sandhi:

This is a peculiar affix, because unlike most truncative, g-initial affixes, it appears to be truly truncative, rather than truncative and fusional; i.e., it will even delete a final /q/ from a q-stem, rather than merging /qg/ ⇒ /r/. We can see this from the examples given in Ordbogeeraq (Petersen, 1951):

Nielsen (2019) claims it may also have the form -rar- on q-stems and some consonant stems, which would suggest it indeed is fusional. However, I suspect this may be due to a confusion with V{-raq}V, to which this affix is related, but which is nevertheless listed as a separate affix with a somewhat different meaning in the dictionaries of Kleinschmidt (1871) and Schultz-Lorentzen (1958). Thus, I record this affix as purely truncative here.


Meanings and examples

Seemingly sometimes with connotations of 'one after the other', similar to V{-raq}V to which this is related.

  • siku qitulligarpoq, the ice is waving (up and down) [11]

    From qituppoq, 'it is soft' and V{li}V, 'has become', so literally 'the ice is repeatedly becoming soft'. The image here is presumably that the ice is soft, so it moves up and down like waves.

  • aallagarput, they travelled in several groups [11]

    From aallarpoq, 'he travels'. In this example, we see that the final /q/ indeed has been deleted from the stem.

  • aalisagarput, they caught several fish (one after the other) [11]

    From aalisarpoq, 'he is fishing'. In this example, we see that the final /q/ indeed has been deleted from the stem.