Details

General

Morphemic form: V{tət}V
New orthography: +tippaa, -tippaa, -tsippaa, +sippaa, -sippaa, +titsivoq, -titsivoq, -tsitsivoq, +tippoq, -tippoq, -tsippoq, +sippoq, -sippoq, +tillugu, -tillugu, -tsillugu, +sillugu, -sillugu, +tinnagu, -tinnagu, -tsinnagu, +sinnagu, -sinnagu
Old orthography: -típâ, -sípâ
Combinations: Click here
See also: V{t(s)ailiuq}V, V{t(s)aili}V, V{-t}V, V{nəq}N,
Left sandhi:
t-truncative,
Right sandhi:
tð⇒ts,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: t-stem
Diathesis: Patientive
Valency change: Increasing
Valency:
None,
HTR morpheme:
ði,
HTR stem: tətci,

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This affix is highly productive with a number of different meanings:

V{tət}V is a valency increasing affix, so it will yield a divalent stem when affixed to a monovalent stem, but if affixed to a divalent stem, it will yield a trivalent stem. In this case, the Agent of the stem is demoted to an underlying agent (which can be specified in the allative case), whilst the agent of V{tət}V becomes the Agent of the resulting stem; i.e., a so-called double-transitive construction. The Patient of V{tət}V is identified with the Patient of the stem, or the Actor of the stem, if it is monovalent. Compare the following examples:

In the latter example, the former Agent of the stem, {taku}V, becomes an underlying Agent of the resulting stem, denoted by (someone) in the translation. It can then be specified explicitly in the allative case: Suppose for example we had the sentence Piitap illu takuaa, 'Piitaq saw the house'. By adding V{tət}V, we can transform this into the new sentence

where 'he' is some new, unnamed subject. The house, illu remains the object, but the former subject, Piitaq has now changed role.

When V{tət}V is used intransitively, without an intervening HTR-morpheme, it can have a passive meaning. Compare the following examples:


Left sandhi:

This affix may be truncative on t-stems, and on t(ə)-stems it attaches to /ə/, thus causing it to appear. Otherwise, it is additive. Here are some examples:

This affix may be related to an old (now non-productive) morpheme V{-t}V with more or less the same meaning. If so, the truncativity on t-stems could be explained as being originally caused by simply extending V{-t}V to V{tət}V, and this behaviour may then have been generalised to other t-stems (and t(ə)-stems as well).


Right sandhi:

Since this is a t-stem, /tð/ may optionally yield [tc], spelt 'ts', when this affix is used with e.g. the intransitive participle V{ðuq}N, or intransitive participial endings (in the passive sense). It always happens with the HTR-morpheme {ði}, hence the HTR-stem of this affix is {tətci}, spelt -titsi- in the new orthography.


Meanings and examples

  • ilinniartippaa, he teaches him (something)
    [8]

    From ilinniarpoq, 'he is learning' or 'getting an education'. In this example, the monovalent stem {əlitniaq}V is turned into a divalent stem, and the former Actor of {əlitniaq}V becomes the Patient of {əlitniaqtət}V. From the HTR-form of this stem is also formed ilinniartitsisoq, 'teacher', with intransitive participle V{ðuq}N.

  • takutippaa, he exhibits it

    Literally 'he lets/causes (someone) to see it', from {taku}V (takuaa), 'Agent sees Patient'.

  • anaanap uannut qitsuk paaritippaa, mother let me care for/look after the cat

    From paaraara, 'I look after/care for it'. The stem is {paarə}V. This is a double-transitive construction, where the Agent of {paarə}V, i.e., the subject 'I', is demoted to an underlying subject, which therefore instead appears in the allative case, uannut. The Agent of V{tət}V is the new subject, i.e. anaanap. the Patient is unaffected, i.e. the object qitsuk.

When used intransitively without an intervening HTR morpheme. This is a resultative passive meaning, denoting a state of being of the Patient being subjected to an action caused by someone/something else.

  • aperitippoq, he is (being) questioned

    From {apərə}V, 'Agent asks Patient (something)'.

  • aatippoq, it is (being) fetched

    From aavaa, he fetches it. This can also be used of a child being picked up (e.g. by its parents) from the kindergarten.

With positive contemporative endings. See the AITWG, chapter 10 for an in-depth description of this construction.

  • qaqqamiitillunga siallilerpoq, while I was out in the mountains, it started raining.
    [11]

    From qaqqami, 'in the mountain(s)', in the locative case. The case ending is verbalised with LOC{ət}V. Notice that the final /t/ is deleted by V{tət}V, thus also illustrating that this affix indeed may be truncative on t-stems. The ending is contemporative any/1.sg V{(l)luŋa}, thus having I as object, even though I is the subject in the corresponding translation.

With negative contemporative endings. See the AITWG, chapter 10 for an in-depth description of this construction.

  • qaqqamukartinnanga kaffisorpunga, before I went to the mountain, I drank coffee
    [11]

    From qaqqamukar-, 'go to the mountain' (actually a verbalisation of the allative case). The ending is the transitive negative contemporative ending any/1.sg, V{naŋa}.

  • arfininngortinnagu angerlassaanga, I shall be home before 6 o'clock

    From arfininngorpoq, 'it is 6 o'clock'.

In this sense, the affix primarily occurs on adjectival stems (e.g. {aŋə}V, {mikə}V etc.), or following an affix with a similar meaning, such as N{-u}V (be), N{-qaq}V (have) and V{naq}V (it is Vb'able).

  • taannaatippara, I think it was him

    From taanna, 'the aforementioned' (it), followed by N{-u}V.

  • pingasuutippigit?, Do you think they were three?

    From pingasut, 'three' and N{-u}V.

  • palasiutipparput, We regard him as (being a) priest
    [4]

    From palasi, 'priest' and N{-u}V.


References