Details

General

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The meaning of this stem is 'wind'. According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [21], it derives from an historical morpheme {anuqə}, so this stem is one of the relatively rare, original ə-stems (rather than an /əq/ or /ək/ stem that has lost its final consonant).

Inflection sandhi:

This is a ə-stem, so the final /ə/ will regularly take the sound [a] when followed by a vowel-initial ending. However, according to several sources [13, 8, 17, 11] the stem also displays a rare form of gemination, of /r/ to /rr/, which is devoiced to [χχ] (spelt 'rr'), rather than being strengthened to [qq].

Furthermore, and perhaps due to the odd combination of features (ə-stem and rare gemination pattern), some speakers may also use the ergative singular form anorrup, rather than the regular anorrip, thus treating the stem as if it were *anoreq with metathesis (i.e. following a pattern like aaveq, aarrup and similar stems). This alternative form of the ergative singular is also mentioned by Kleinschmidt, Schultz-Lorentzen and Nielsen [13, 8, 11]. However, the form anoraa, 'its wind', with absolutive 3sg/sg possessive ending, clearly reveals that this stem in fact does not have metathesis.

Lastly, according to Schultz-Lorentzen [8], the stem may alternatively also decline without gemination; but (presumably) still with the stem-final /ə/ alternating between [i] and [a] according to the ə-rule.

Inflection

Declension pattern:

Notes on declension:

This is the declension with gemination of /r/ to [χχ], described by Kleinschmidt, Schultz-Lorentzen, Ordbogeeraq and Nielsen [13, 8, 17, 11]. The ergative singular form anorrip is the regular form in this pattern, but we also record the alternative (irregular) pseudo-up-declined form anorrup here.

Declension pattern:

Notes on declension:

This is the alternative declension without gemination mentioned by Schultz-Lorentzen [8].

Meanings and examples