Details

General

Morphemic form: V{lqajaa}V
New orthography: -qqajaavoq
Old orthography: -rĸajâvoĸ
Sources: [13, 17, 16, 19, 11]
Combinations: View list
Constituents: V{lqajaq}V + V{-a}V
Variants: V{lqajaq}V
Left sandhi: Default
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Default/none
Stem type: Vowel stem
Diathesis: None
Valency: Preserving, Preserving

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The meaning of this affix appears to be 'Subject is nearly about to Vb'. According to Schultz-Lorentzen [16], it is equivalent in meaning to V{lqajaq}V, but when comparing the examples in Oqaatsit [19], there appears to be a slight difference:

Thus, there seems to be a difference between present and past tense inherent in this; or possibly a difference in temporal remoteness. However, this is solely based on the translations of the examples given in Oqaatsit [19], so this may be spurious.

Note that Schultz-Lorentzen [16] comments that this affix is commonly used with V{-liq}V, which indeed would move the meaning close to the present moment, and would correspond to the meaning of the examples given in Oqaatsit. Indeed, all the examples given by Schultz-Lorentzen in [16] use V{-liq}V, i.e. -rĸajâlerpoĸ. This is also the only form of this affix, that is mentioned in Kleinschmidt [13], i.e. -rĸajâvoĸ is not given independently therein. Thus, it may be that meaning of V{-liq}V has been transferred onto V{lqajaa}V, such that V{-liq}V is no longer needed.

The present affix obviously derives from V{lqajaq}V, but the source of the final /a/ is not clear. Here, we assume it is from V{-a}V, denoting 'persistently' or 'state of being', but this is just a guess, since it does not seem to fit entirely with the meaning of the affix. Nielsen [11] also translates this affix as 'is all the time almost about to Vb', which fits better with the presence of V{-a}V; however, this does not correspond to the meaning given in other dictionaries.


Meanings and examples

Possibly with V{-liq}V in older texts, albeit it does not appear to be needed nowadays.

  • eqqaaqqajaavara, I was just about to recall it [16]

    From eqqaavaa, 'he recalls it'. Note that this is an old example, so here the meaning is 'was'.

  • qimaqqajaaleramisigut, just when he was about to leave us [16]

    From qimappaa, 'he leaves it', and with causative 4sg/1pl V{gamisəgut}. Note that this is an old example, so it uses V{-liq}V for the present-tense meaning.

  • sialleqqajaalerpoq, it was just about to start raining [16]

    From siallerpoq, 'it rains'. Note that this is an old example, so it uses V{-liq}V for the present-tense meaning.

  • erneqqajaavoq, she is just about to give birth [19]

    From ernivoq, 'she gives birth'. This is a recent example, so the meaning is present-tense even without V{-liq}V.

  • juulleqqajaavoq, it is nearly Christmas [19]

    I.e., it is just about to be Christmas-time.

  • pitaruteqqajaavoq, he is just about to appear [19]

    From piteruppoq, 'he appears'. Note that this is a t(ə)-stem, and since the affix is necessarily truncative, it attaches to /ə/.


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