Details

General

Morphemic form: V{-luksinnaq}V
New orthography: -lussinnarpoq
Old orthography: -lugsínarpoĸ
Sources: [13, 17, 16, 19]
Combinations: View list
Constituents: N{luk}V + V{sinnaq}V
Left sandhi: Truncative
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Default/none
Stem type: q-stem
Diathesis: Subjective
Valency: Preserving, Monovalent

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The meaning of this affix is 'Subject Vb in vain' or 'needlessly', 'to no use' etc. It does not appear in the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [21], so the etymology is not clear, but according to Schultz-Lorentzen [16], it is derived from -dlugpoĸ, i.e. the affix N{luk}V, 'has a bad N', although in the present combination it instead attaches to verbal stems. The second component is also unexplained, but it appears to be V{sinnaq}V, which is nowadays a non-productive variant of V{-(g)innaq}V, which here must have been used in an older sense than the present-day 'just Vb'.


Left sandhi:

Note that, unlike the leftmost component N{luk}V of this affix, the combination appears to always be truncative according to Oqaatsit [19].


Meanings and examples

Or 'needlessly', 'to no use' etc.

  • nungulussinnarpai, he has used them up needlessly/in vain [16]

    From nunguppaa, 'he uses it up'

  • qinulussinnarpoq, he asks/prays (for something) in vain [16]

    From qinuvoq, 'he asks/prays (for something)'. Kleinschmidt [13] gives the same example, but with tussiarpoq instead, which he translates as 'prays'. However, nowadays this word is only used in the sense of 'sings hymns'.

  • sanalussinnarpaa, he makes it in vain, to no use [13]

    From sanavaa, 'he makes it'.