Details
General
| Morphemic form: | V{təgə}V |
| New orthography: | +tigaaq, -tsigaaq, +sigaaq |
| Old orthography: | -tigaoĸ, -sigaoĸ |
| Combinations: | Click here |
| Left sandhi: | Default,
|
| Right sandhi: | Default/none,
|
| Inflection sandhi: | ə-contraction,
|
| Stem type: | ə-stem |
| Diathesis: | Subjective |
| Valency change: | None |
| Valency: | Monovalent,
|
Description and behaviour
Form and usage:
This affix is used with adjectival stems to express an equal degree of Vb'ing between the subject, and some other object of comparison (denoted 'as something' in the translation). This object of comparison is usually marked with an equalis case ending (meaning 'as'), but there are also other possibilities. Here are three common structures:
- N{tut} {verb}V{təgə}V, 'subject is as Vb'ing as N' where N is marked with an equalis case.
- {qanuq} {verb}V{təgə}V + interrogative, 'how Vb'ing is the subject?' with the interrogative particle {qanuq}, 'how/what' instead of an object of comparison.
- {ima} {verb}V{təgə}V, 'subject is as vb'ing as that', with the demonstrative ima, 'thus/that', instead of an explicit object of comparison. This would be used if you are e.g. pointing at an object to indicate the degree of Vb'ing, such as 'as green as that' or 'as tall as that' etc. This construction can also be used, if you are referring to some previously mentioned entity. In that case, the anaphoric form {taima} (taama(k)) would be used instead of {ima}.
Meanings and examples
- Piitaq ataatamisut angitigaaq, Piitaq is as big as his father
Here the explicit object of comparison is ataata, with the equalis 4sg/sg possessive ending N{misut}, 'his (own) N'.The verb stem is {aŋə}V, '
Actoris big'. - Piitaq qanoq angitigaa?, how big is Piitaq?
With interrogative 3sg ending V{va}. Schwa-contraction deletes the single /v/ from the ending, thus yielding angitigaa.
- ima angitigaaq, he is as tall as _this_
where this e.g. may be indicated with the hands, or by pointing to some object.
- paasisinnaanngilaat sooq uanga taamak ungasitsigisumut aallarusuppunga, they couldn't understand why I wanted to travel to something as distant as _that_
[15]
The word containing V{təgə}V is ungasitsigisumut, built from {uŋasik}V{təgə}V{ðuq}N{mut}. The base is {uŋasik}V, 'is distant/far away' followed by V{təgə}V, and then intransitive participle V{ðuq}N, thus yielding a noun meaning 'something as distant (as that)' where 'as that' is expressed by the anaphoric demonstrative taamak, referring to a previously described place. Note that {uŋasik}V contains a true /i/, which can also cause assibilation of the following /t/. Thus, ungasissigisumut is also possible.
- miilitut ungasissigaaq, it is one mile away
[4]
Literally: 'it is as distant as 1 mile'. This example uses {uŋasik}V as the previous example, but here we see that {uŋasik}V also can assibilate the /t/ to /s/ by the t-to-s rule.
References
- [4] C.W. Schultz-Lorentzen (1958): Den Grønlandske Ordbog.
- [8] Christian Berthelsen, Birgitte Jakobsen, Robert Petersen, Inge Kleivan & Jørgen Rischel (1997): Oqaatsit.
- [15] Per Langgård (1997): Grønlandsk for Voksne.