Details
General
| Morphemic form: | V{juaq}V |
| New orthography: | +tuarpoĸ, +juarpoq, +uarpoq |
| Old orthography: | -tuarpoĸ, -juarpoĸ, -uarpoĸ |
| Combinations: | Click here |
| Left sandhi: | j/t-alternating,
|
| 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:
The meaning of this affix is 'Vb continually', which may also be translated as 'keep on Vb'ing', 'go on vb'ing' etc.
Historically, this affix derives from {ðuʀaʀ-} or {tuʀaʀ}, according to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, but it is not clear how it has attained its modern-day form from this. In Inuktitut, the modern-day reflex of /ð/ is a /j/ that alternates with /t/ (just like we have /c/ alternating with /t/ in Kalaallisut), and the initial /j/ of this affix curiously behaves exactly like /ð/ in Inuktitut; i.e alternating between /j/ on vowel-stems and /t/ on consonant stems. However, if the initial consonant in fact is /ð/, then it does not explain how or why this phoneme has come to alternate between /j/ and /t/ in this particular affix, when /ð/ everywhere else in Kalaallisut alternates between /c/ and /t/. To my knowledge, this is the only base affix behaving in this fashion, but composite affixes derived from this inherit the same left-sandhi behaviour. Thus, I have chosen not to use a special symbol for this /j/ alternating with /t/.
Left sandhi:
The initial /j/ becomes /t/ on consonant stems. Following [i], the initial /j/ is not written (as usual in the new orthography), thus yielding three different forms of this affix:
- -juar- on vowel stems ending on [a] or [u],
- -uar-, on vowel stems ending on [i], i.e. /i/ or /ə/, where the latter takes the sound [i] because of the following consonant,
- -tuar- on all consonant stems, including t(ə)-stems, since the affix is additive and hence attaches to /t/.
According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, the form {uaʀ-} may also appear on other vowel stems, not only following [i]. This is also shown in some of the examples given by Schultz-Lorentzen (1958), but when this happens is unexplained (or simply optional). Furthermore, this behaviour does not seem to appear in productive use nowadays, so we only note the examples but refrain from encoding it in the morphemic form.
Meanings and examples
Or 'keep on Vb'ing', 'go on vb'ing' etc.
- equjuarpoq, it continually becomes bent
[8]
- ingerlajuarpoq, he keeps going
[8]
- seqinnertuarpoq, the sun is shining all the time
[8]
From seqinnerpoq, 'the sun is shining'. /j/ becomes /t/ on a consonant stem.
- siallertuarpoq, it keeps on raining
[8]
From siallerpoq, 'it is raining'. /j/ becomes /t/ on a consonant stem.
- ulapittuarpoq, he is busy all the time
[8]
From ulapippoq, 'he is busy'. /j/ becomes /t/ on a consonant stem.
- suliuarpoq, he is constantly working
[8]
From sulivoq, 'he works', with /j/ not written after [i] as usual.
- ukisiuarpoq, he keeps staring emptily
[8]
from ukisivoq, with /j/ not written after [i].
- asajuarpaa, he keeps on loving her
[4]
Note: Schultz-Lorentzen (1958) gives asauarpâ as an alternative form, suggesting /j/ is dropped on vowel stems, but this does not seem to be the behaviour nowadays.
- isigiuarpaa, he keeps looking at him
[4]
From {əcəgə}V, i.e. /əcəgəjuaqvaa/, with /ə/ taking the sound [i] before a consonant, and then with /j/ not written after [i].
References
- [4] C.W. Schultz-Lorentzen (1958): Den Grønlandske Ordbog.
- [8] Christian Berthelsen, Birgitte Jakobsen, Robert Petersen, Inge Kleivan & Jørgen Rischel (1997): Oqaatsit.