Details
General
| Morphemic form: | V{-gaq}V |
| New orthography: | -garpoq |
| Old orthography: | -garpoĸ |
| 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):
- akimmigarpoq, from {akitmik}V or {akitmit}V,
- uppigarput, from {ukvəq}V with deletion of /q/,
- ornigarpaat, from {uqnək}V.
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)
[4]
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
[4]
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)
[4]
From aalisarpoq, 'he is fishing'. In this example, we see that the final /q/ indeed has been deleted from the stem.
References
- [4] C.W. Schultz-Lorentzen (1958): Den Grønlandske Ordbog.
- [6] Jonathan Petersen (1967): Ordbogêraĸ.