Details
General
| Morphemic form: | {ulu(j)ak}N |
| New orthography: | uluak, ulussat |
| Old orthography: | uluak, ulússat |
| Sources: | [22] |
| Combinations: | View list |
| Right sandhi: | Default/none |
| Inflection sandhi: | Geminating, Injection |
| Stem type(s): | Weak k-stem |
Description and behaviour
Form and usage:
The meaning of this stem is 'cheek'.
For unknown reasons, Schultz-Lorentzen records it as a weak q-stem instead in his grammar [8], i.e. uluaq. However, all dictionaries, including Schultz-Lorentzen [17], record it as uluak, with a stem-final (weak) /k/. Thus, the q-stem form appears to be a mistake, and we do not record it here.
According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [22], the reconstructed historical form is {uɬuɣaɣ}, where the final /ɣ/ is reflected as /k/ in the modern-day form. The stem-internal /ɣ/ appears to have dropped at some point, but a reflex of it appears during inflection, where it geminates to [ss]. Thus, we write this unwritten consonant as (j).
Inflection sandhi:
The stem has gemination of an unwritten consonant between /ua/. In the form recorded here, we indicate this unwritten consonant as (j).
Inflection
Declension pattern:
| Stem type: | Weak k-stem |
| Declension type: | p-declined |
| Declension sandhi: | Geminating |
| Gemination type: | j⇒cc |
| Stem before consonant | Stem before vowel | Notable forms | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New orthography | ulussa | ulua | uluak, ulussap, ulussat, |
| Old orthography | ulússa | ulua | uluak, ulússap, ulússat, |
| Phonemic orthography | ulujja | ulua | uluak, ulujjap, ulujjat, |
Notes on declension:
This is the inflection with gemination.
Meanings and examples
And with a possessive ending e.g. uluai, 'his cheeks'.