Details
General
| Morphemic form: | V{-qəna}V |
| New orthography: | -qinaaq |
| Old orthography: | -ĸinavoĸ, -ĸinaoĸ |
| Combinations: | Click here |
| Constituents: | V{-qə}V, ?, |
| See also: | V{ssa}V, |
| Left sandhi: | Truncative,
|
| Right sandhi: | Default/none,
|
| Inflection sandhi: | Irregular,
|
| Stem type: | Vowel stem |
| Diathesis: | None |
| Valency change: | Preserving |
| Valency: | None,
|
Description and behaviour
Form and usage:
This affix always appears last in a word. It seems to have been formed from the intensifier V{-qə}V and a morpheme {na}, which also appears as the alternative imperative 2sg person marker, as well as in some other affixes. The compound affix has two, somewhat related meanings:
The general meaning is: '(be careful!) there is a danger that
Subjectmight Vb'. This is especially used in the indicative mood to issue warnings (to some unmarked 2nd person).In the imperative mood, it has the special meaning 'don't Vb!'. Thus, this affix is another way of creating a negative imperative.
Common to both meanings is thus that the affix is used to issue a warning to the addressee, to deter him from whatever he is intending to do, or is already doing.
Inflection sandhi:
Today, this affix behaves like V{ssa}V in intransitive indicative, deleting the single /v/ from the mood marker {vu}, but not the doubled /(v)v/ in 3pl V{(v)vut}. Thus, this affix changes five of the six endings in intransitive indicative as follows:
| Person | Morphemes | Phonemes | Spelling | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg: | V{-qəna}V{vuŋa} | ⇒ | /qənauŋa/ | ⇒ | -qənaanga | |
| 2sg: | V{-qəna}V{vutət} | ⇒ | /qənautət/ | ⇒ | -qənaatit | |
| 3sg: | V{-qəna}V{vuq} | ⇒ | /qənauq/ | ⇒ | -qənaaq | |
| 1pl: | V{-qəna}V{vugut} | ⇒ | /qənaugut/ | ⇒ | -qənaagut | |
| 2pl: | V{-qəna}V{vusi} | ⇒ | /qənausi/ | ⇒ | -qənaasi | |
| 3pl: | V{-qəna}V{(v)vut} | ⇒ | /qənavvut/ | ⇒ | -qənapput | (no irregularity) |
Furthermore, in intransitive imperative, it takes special endings for the 2nd person:
- 2sg: V{k}, hence -qinak!,
- 2pl: V{si}, hence -qinasi!.
In all other moods, including transitive indicative (i.e. mood marker {va}) and transitive imperative, this affix is completely regular.
Meanings and examples
- nakkaqinaatit, be careful, or else you might fall
[4]
From nakkarpoq, 'he falls'. Note: Schultz-Lorentzen has nákaĸinavutit without contracted endings, but contracted endings seem to be more common nowadays.
- arajutseqinavara, I must be careful lest I might not notice it
[4]
From arajutsivaa, 'he has not noticed it'. This is an example of transitive usage, and the speaker (I) is here addressing himself.
- sarfaateqinavaa, there is a danger the current might carry him away
[4]
From sarfaappaa, 'the current carries it away', which is a t(ə)-stem. Schultz-Lorentzen actually translate it as a spoken wish: 'I hope the current won't carry him away', but this must rather be the implied meaning of the word, rather than it's literal translation.
- aseroqnavoq, (be careful) it might break!
[13]
From aserorpoq, 'it breaks'.
References
- [4] C.W. Schultz-Lorentzen (1958): Den Grønlandske Ordbog.
- [6] Jonathan Petersen (1967): Ordbogêraĸ.
- [8] Christian Berthelsen, Birgitte Jakobsen, Robert Petersen, Inge Kleivan & Jørgen Rischel (1997): Oqaatsit.
- [13] Samuel Kleinschmidt (1871): Den grønlandske Ordbog.