Details

General

Morphemic form: {əgala(j)aq}N
New orthography: igalaaq, igalassat, igalaat
Old orthography: igalâĸ, igalássat, igalât
Sources: [22]
Combinations: View list
Right sandhi: /aq/ drop
Inflection sandhi: Default/none, Geminating, Injection
Stem type(s): Weak q-stem, Weak q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The meaning of this word is 'window', or more specifically 'window pane', i.e. glass. According to Kleinschmidt [14], it could also (in older times) be windows made of other materials, e.g. entrails, which would be stretched out to cover an opening in the wall.

The stem is not mentioned in the index of Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [22], but it is mentioned under {əɣaləʀ}, 'smoke hole', which presumably is derived from the root of {əga}V, 'to cook'. It is unexplained how the present form is derived from this, but given the meaning, it may be with the affix {aʀ}, i.e. N{-aq}N, i.e.

which would have caused /ə/ to take the sound [a]. We record it as /a/ here, because the stem may optionally display gemination of an unwritten consonant, here indicated as (j), which can geminate to [cc] during inflection. However, there is no historical explanation for this consonant, and indeed, the fact that this /ə/ always has the sound [a], is evidence that there in fact is no consonant there. Thus, if this etymology is correct, it would be more correct to record the form as {əgalə(j)aq}N, but this would yield the wrong form during inflection, e.g. *igalissap, rather than the correct igalassap, when the injected consonant surfaces.

Given this analysis, it is not clear why this stem should decline with gemination, and it may simply be due to influence from other geminating stems with stem-final [aaq]. Indeed, it may be a later invention, since the inflection with gemination is not mentioned in the old dictionary by Kleinschmidt [14], but only in later dictionaries [16, 18] and the grammar by Schultz-Lorentzen [8].


Right sandhi:

In some of the examples, the stem drops its final /aq/, although this does not appear to be regular. This is specifically in combination with a /VC/ deleting affix, N{-liq}V.


Inflection sandhi:

Kleinschmidt [14] does not record any special declension of this stem. However, in a later dictionary, Kjer & Rasmussen [16] record declension forms both with and without gemination of an unknown consonant to /cc/. This unwritten consonant is here indicated as (j).

This geminated form is also recorded in Ordbogeeraq [18] and Nielsen [11]. Today, this geminated form (in plural) seems to have become lexicalised with the meaning window pane (i.e. the piece of glass), rather than the window as a whole.


Inflection

Declension pattern:

Stem type: Weak q-stem
Declension type: p-declined
Declension sandhi: Default/none

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography igalaa igalaa igalaaq, igalaap, igalaat,
Old orthography igalâ igalâ igalâĸ, igalâp, igalât,
Phonemic orthography igalaa igalaa igalaaq, igalaap, igalaat,

Notes on declension:

This is the regular declension without gemination.


Declension pattern:

Stem type: Weak q-stem
Declension type: p-declined
Declension sandhi: Geminating
Gemination type: j⇒cc

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography igalassa igalaa igalaaq, igalassap, igalassat,
Old orthography igalássa igalâ igalâĸ, igalássap, igalássat,
Phonemic orthography igalajja igalaa igalaaq, igalajjap, igalajjat,

Notes on declension:

This is the declension with gemination.


Meanings and examples

I.e. either the physical hole in the wall, or the window including the window pane.

  • igalaakkut itsuarpoq, he looks out of the window [16]

    This an example without gemination.

  • igalaap saaniippoq, it lies in the window [16]

    I.e., on the window sill. This is an example without gemination.

  • igalassap inaa, window opening [16]

    This is an example with gemination.

  • igalassat iluleriit, double windows [16]

    This is an example with gemination.

  • igalasserpaa, he puts a window in it [16]

    With N{-liq}V, which here has caused /aq/ drop and gemination. From this stem also igalasserfik, 'window opening'.

In the (archaic) geminated plural form igalassat. Nowadays, 'glass' might instead be denoted by igalaamineq, from {əgala(j)aq}N + N{-minəq}N.

  • igalaamut agguut, glass-cutter (diamond) [14]

    In Oqaatsit [20], this is recorded as igalaassanut agguut. Note, this is with N{kcaq}N; the 'ss' here does not reflect gemination.


Tags