Details
General
| Morphemic form: | V{-riiq}V |
| New orthography: | -reerpoq, -reerit, -reerluni, -reerami, -reeruni |
| Old orthography: | -rêrpoĸ |
| Combinations: | Click here |
| See also: | V{nəkuu}V, V{sima}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:
Many Greenlandic verbal bases can be used either in a present or past sense without any special affix to denote time. This affix denotes two related aspects:
- perfect(ive) aspect, i.e. that the action has already been completed, thus indirectly implying a past tense;
- experiential aspect, i.e. that the listener knew on beforehand that the action was supposed/intended to be performed.
Compare the following examples:
- aallarpoq, 'he has departed',
- aallareerpoq, 'he has already departed' (implying that you knew he was supposed to leave at some point).
According to Fortescue (1984, p. 278), this meaning may also be emphasised by adding V{sima}V after this affix. However, it is my impression that V{nəkuu}V may be preferred nowadays, because V{sima}V also denotes evidential aspect, i.e. reported/non-experienced experience. V{sima}V may therefore instead be preferred when if only the perfect(ive) aspect is desired, but not the experiential aspect. Thus, compare:
- aallareersimavoq, 'he has already departed' (apparently?),
- aallareernikuuvoq, 'he has already departed' (it is known/observed).
Furthermore, the affix has some special meanings in the imperative and contemporative moods:
- In the imperative mood it expresses urgency/impatience, as if the speaker wants the action to already having been performed. It can optionally also be followed by V{-innaq}V in this sense.
- In the contemporative, causative or conditional moods it is used for ordering events in a list of actions, i.e. 'after having Vb'ed, then ...' (followed by a main clause). This is similar to V{-riaq}V, V{sinnaq}V or V{lqaaq}V in contemporative mood.
Meanings and examples
In the sense of 'as intended'. It denotes perfect(ive) and experiential aspect.
- aallareerpoq, he has already left/departed
- tikereerpoq, he has already arrived
[4]
- oqareeramami!, I have already said it!
[4]
With intransitive causative 1sg, V{gama}, (for past tense) and enclitic *{mi} for emphasis.
- nerereerpisi?, have you already eaten?
[4]
- sanareerpiuk?, are thou done making it?
[4]
When used with the imperative mood
With endings in the contemporative, causative or conditional moods.
- uffareerama anivunga, after having showered, I went out
[11]
With the intransitive causative 1sg ending V{gama} for past tense. This could also have been uffareerlunga (still with a past tense meaning).
- uffareeruma anissaanga, after I have showered, I will go out
[11]
With the intransitive conditional 1sg ending V{gama} and V{ssa}V on the main verb for future tense. This could also have been uffareerlunga (still with a past tense meaning).
References
- [4] C.W. Schultz-Lorentzen (1958): Den Grønlandske Ordbog.
- [8] Christian Berthelsen, Birgitte Jakobsen, Robert Petersen, Inge Kleivan & Jørgen Rischel (1997): Oqaatsit.
- [11] Stig Bjørnum (2003): Grønlandsk Grammatik.