Details
General
| Morphemic form: | {məkəjaq}N |
| New orthography: | mikiaq, mikissat |
| Old orthography: | mikiaĸ, mikíssat |
| Sources: | [21] |
| Combinations: | View list |
| Right sandhi: | Default/none |
| Inflection sandhi: | Geminating |
| Stem type(s): | Weak q-stem |
Description and behaviour
Form and usage:
This stem denotes 'fermented food', especially fermented meat (or fish). Note also the related verbal form, {məkəjaq}V, which seems to be the present stem, used verbally. However, according to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [21], the stem is originally nominal. It derives from a morpheme {məkəɣaq}, where the /ɣ/ at some point appears to have weakened to /j/. However, Kleinschmidt [13] also notes a 'provincial' variant, mikigaq, in plural mikikkat, with standard gemination of /g/ to [kk]. Following the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, this alternative form actually appears to be closer to the reconstructed historical, but that form is only recorded in Kleinschmidt [13] and Schultz-Lorentzen [16], but not in newer dictionaries.
Inflection
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 | mikissa | mikia | mikiaq, mikissap, mikissat, |
| Old orthography | mikíssa | mikia | mikiaq, mikíssap, mikíssat, |
| Phonemic orthography | məkəjja | məkəja | məkəjaq, məkəjjap, məkəjjat, |
Meanings and examples
Especially fermented meat.