Details

General


Morphemic form: {pi}V
New orthography: pivoq, pivaa, pillugu, pinnagu
Old orthography: pivoĸ, pivâ, pivdlugo, pínago
Sources: [9, 14]
Combinations: Click here
Variants: {pi}N,
See also: {su}V, {su}N,
Right sandhi:
Assibilation (t⇒s),
Inflection sandhi:
Irregular,
Stem type: Vowel stem
Diathesis: Agentive (NPP)
Valency:
Monovalent,
Divalent,

Description and behaviour


Form and usage:

This stem is a so-called pro-base, which is used instead of an ordinary verbal stem as the base of a verb. It can be used similar to its nominal variant {pi}N to give the pure meaning of an affix. Thus, its basic meaning can be translated as 'do something', but besides this it also has a whole host of other, more or less specialised meanings and usages.


Inflection sandhi:

The /n/ in the negative contemporative mood marker {na} is doubled for unknown reasons. Thus we get pinnagu, pinnagit etc.


Meanings and examples


Also intransitively: 'Actor does (something)'. This can also be used to break up a longer verb into two, with the 'auxiliary' verb containing {pi} in the contemporative mood.

  • ajortumik pivaa, he treats him badly [14]
  • qanoq pivaa?, what did he do with it? [14]
  • tamaasa pivigit?, have you done (something) with them all? [9]

    Here (something) would be understood from the context to be whatever the topic of the conversation is.

  • manna illit pissagit, you shall do (something) with it [9]

    Where (something) is understood from the context.

  • tassa-taavali pereerpakka, I have already (a while ago) done (something) with them [9]

    Where (something) is understood from the context.

  • ippassaq pisimavoq, he presumably did (something) yesterday [9]

    Where (something) is understood from the context.

  • pillugu pillugu kiisa qupivoq, after many attempts, it finally split [9]

    Literally: 'doing with it, doing with it, finally it split' (e.g. a log).

  • takujumagamisigut pinngilaq, najukkani takukatakkamigit tikeraarpoq, it is not because he wants to see us, but because he is tired of seeing those that he lives with, he comes to visit [9]

    The relevant phrase here is takujumagamisigut pinngilaq, literally: 'he is not (doing so) because he wants to see us', where 'doing so' then is understood to refer to the other main verb, tikeraarpoq, 'he comes to visit'. Using {pi} thus avoids repeating this verbal stem.

  • asallugu pissavat, you shall (do such as to) love him [9]

    This is just a more circumstantial way of expressing the same sentiment as asassavat, 'you shall love him'.

  • takujumallugu pigaluarama, indeed I did (something) want(ing) to see him [9]

    This is a more circumstantial way of expressing the same sentiment as takujumagaluarakku, 'because I (actually) wanted to see him'.

  • neruttorlugu pisariaqarumaarsimavoq, it will probably be necessary to expand it [9]

    Instead of the more direct formulation: neruttortariaqarumaarsimavoq.

Only with intransitive endings.

  • naluara suna pisoq, I do not know what happened

    With the object clause in the participial mood and {su}N as the subject.

  • qaannakkut pivoq, he perished (drowned) in kayak [9]

    I.e. 'it happened (to him) in/by kayak', here understood as 'perished/drowned'.

The place arrived at can optionally be specified in the allative case.

  • Nuummut pivoq, he comes to/arrives in Nuuk [14]
  • Kalaallit Nunaannut pipput, they come to Greenland [2]
  • napparsimmavimmut pivoq, he is committed to the hospital [14]

    Literally: he comes to the hospital.

With positive transitive contemporative endings.

  • Piitaq pillugu (allappunga), (I write) concerning Peter

    This could be the title of an email from Peter's teacher to his parents.

  • illit pillutit ullissaanga, for your sake/because of you, I will stay for the day [9]
  • qitornakka pillugit nuukkumagaluaqaanga, I would (actually) want to move for the sake of my children (but...) [9]
  • tamanna pillugu, therefore [9]

    Literally: 'for the sake of it all', cf. also pissutigalugu with V{ccutə}N + N{-gə}V.

With negative transitive contemporative endings

  • tamanna pinnagu, not that one [9]

    Literally: 'all except that one'.

  • uku kisiisa pinnagit tamarmik inioqqassapput, they must all be put out, except these [9]

    The relevant part here is uku kisiisa pinnagit, 'excepting these alone'.

Especially also with V{-liq}V, i.e. pilerpoq, 'he replies/says something'.

Either in the sense of 'catches an animal' or 'marries him'. Also with intransitive endings: 'Agent gets (something)'.


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