Details

General

Morphemic form: V{sinnaaŋŋuq}V
New orthography: +sinnaanngorpoq
Old orthography: -sínãngorpoĸ
Sources: [14, 11, 8]
Combinations: Click here
Constituents: V{sinnaq}V, ?, N{ŋŋuq}V,
Left sandhi:
Default,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: q-stem
Diathesis: None
Valency:
Preserving,
Agent increasing,

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The meaning of this affix is 'Subject can now Vb', or 'Subject has become able to Vb'. According to Nielsen [8], it can also be used with transitive endings in the contemporative mood, even if the stem is monovalent, in the sense of 'making the Actor=Patient be Vb'able'. Thus, this usage is agent-increasing, similar to N{ŋŋuq}V.

This affix is a combination of V{sinnaq}V in the sense of 'is able to' (as in V{sinnau}V) and N{ŋŋuq}V. The source of the extra /a/ in /sinnaaŋŋuq/ is unclear, but the old-orthography form -sínãngorpoĸ makes it clear that it indeed is an /a/, and thus not an assimilated /u/ as in V{sinnau}V, which is from N{-u}V. Hence, despite the similarity, this affix is not directly a combination of V{sinnau}V, 'can Vb', and N{ŋŋuq}V. A possible source of this /a/ could be the reduced form of the passive participle {ðaʀ}, if the affix is verbal, or it could be the affix {aʀ}, 'thing resembling N', if the stem is nominal, but this is pure speculation.


Meanings and examples

Or 'has now become able to Vb' etc.

  • atorsinnaanngorpaa, he can now use it [11]
  • oqalussinnaanngorpoq, he has now become able to speak [11]

    E.g. of a child that now has learned to speak.

  • allaffigisinnaanngorakku, when I became able to write to him [11]

Only in the contemporative mood

  • takuneqarsinnaanngorlugu, making it visible [8]

    From takuneqarpoq, 'it is seen'.


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