Details

General

Morphemic form: V{tqu}V
New orthography: -qquaa, -qqusivoq, -qquvoq, -qqullugu, -qqulluni, -qqunagu, -qqunani
Old orthography: -rĸuvâ
Sources: [9, 12, 11, 14, 8]
Combinations: Click here
Left sandhi:
Default,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: Vowel stem
Diathesis: Reflexive (BP)
Valency:
Agent increasing,
HTR morpheme: ði
HTR stem: tquci,

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The general meaning of this affix is 'ask/bid', and this action is itself divalent: it has an Agent role (doing the asking/bidding), and a Patient role (who is asked/bidden). The affix is thus valency-increasing, because it adds new roles to the relation, and it can form so-called 'double-transitive' verbs, if used on a divalent-stem. See further the general description of these constructions here: Double-transitive constructions.

Intransitive usage:
We record the diathesis as reflexive. Thus, if this affix is used in intransitive form without an intervening HTR-morpheme, there are two possible meanings:

This meaning is close to being passive, if the underlying stem itself is divalent, since the Agent of the affix will be equated with the Patient of the stem; and indeed, Nielsen [8] calls it passive, rather than reflexive. However, I believe this is a misclassification: the act of bidding, denoted by this affix, is still reflexive, since the Subject is both the person doing the bidding, and the person to be Vb'ed. It is only secondarily passive, because the Subject then also becomes equated with the Patient of the verbal action denoted by the underlying stem.

Special constructions:
Besides the above, this affix is also used in some special constructions with the contemporative moods:

In both cases, if there is coreference between the object of -qqu- and the subject of the main clause, and this is a 3rd person, then a 4th person contemporative ending is used, i.e. an intransitive ending. Consider the following examples:

The same applies with the negative contemporative endings.


Meanings and examples

When used with transitive endings. This can form a double-transitive construction: 'Agent1 bids/asks Agent2 to Vb Patient'.

  • ingeqquaa, he bids him sit down [14]

    From ingippoq, 'he sits down'.

  • nassiuteqquaa, he bids (someone) send it [14]

    From {naŋciut(ə)}V, 'Agent sends Patient', so a t(ə)-stem. Note, this is a double-transitive construction. The person being bidden can be added in the allative case.

  • paareqquaa, he bids (someone) watch over it [14]

    Note, this is a double-transitive construction. The person being bidden can be added in the allative case.

  • naalaqquakkit, I bid thee obey (me) [11]

    From naalappaa, 'he obeys him'.

  • tikilluaqquarput, we bid him (be) welcome [11]

    Or 'we welcome him'. From tikilluarpoq, 'he is welcome' (monovalent) and transitive indicative 1pl/3sg ending V{(q)vut} (we-him). Note: tikilluarit is a standard greeting.

  • tikilluaqquakkit, let me bid thee (be) welcome [11]

    With the optative 1sg/2sg ending.

  • inuulluaqquatsigit, we bid thee good-bye [11]

    From inuulluarpoq, 'he lives well', literally 'we bid thee live well'. Note: inuulluarit is a standard farewell expression.

  • palasip uannut paareqquaa, the priest bid me look after it [11]
  • peqqusivoq, he commands [11]

    With the dummy morpheme {pi}V, giving the pure meaning of the affix, and using the HTR-form.

  • atuarfiup matuneqannginnissaa angajoqqaat politikerinut eqqarsaatigeqquaat, the parents asked/bade the politicians consider not to close the school [8]

    The underlying verb here is eqqarsaatigaat, 'they consider it'. The subject of this verb is politikerit, 'the politicians', and the object is atuarfiup matuneqannginnissaa, 'the (future) closing of the school'. The affix adds a new Agent role, which is bound to angajoqqaat, 'the parents', and the underlying Agent of 'consider', bound to politikerinut, instead appears in the allative case.

When used intransitively, without an intervening HTR-morpheme. The literal meaning is: 'Agent bids (someone) Vb him=Agent'.

  • orneqquvoq, he requests (someone) to come to him [14]
  • paareqquvoq, he requests to be looked after [14]

    Or 'cared for', 'tended to', etc.

  • tuneqquvoq, he asks for something [14]

    I.e., 'he requests to be given something'.

  • ilinnut takusaqquvoq, he would like a visit from thee [11]

    I.e., 'he requests to be seen by thee'. Note that the underlying Agent (by someone) is given in the allative case (ilinnut).

  • ikioqquvunga, I would like to be helped [8]

    From ikiorpaa, 'he helps him', so literally 'I bid (someone) help me'. This meaning can be clarified with the passive affix V{nəqaq}V, i.e. ikiorneqaqquvunga, literally 'I bid myself be helped (by someone)'.

When used with positive contemporative endings {(l)lu}. The person who does something in order to Vb will be the object of the sentence.

  • taama oqarpoq naalaqqulluni, thus he spoke in order to be obeyed [11]

    Note: 4sg ending, because the person to be obeyed is the same as the subject of the main clause.

  • nassarpakka ilissinnut takoqqullugit, I brought them (in order) for you to see them [11]

When used with negative contemporative endings {na}. The person who does not Vb will be the object of the sentence.


Tags