Details

General

Morphemic form: *{-kaq}V
New orthography: +mukarpoq, -mukarpoq, +nukarpoq, -nukarpoq
Old orthography: -mukarpoĸ, -nukarpoĸ
Combinations: Click here
See also: *{-Vq}V,
Left sandhi:
Truncative,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: q-stem
Diathesis: Subjective
Valency change: None
Valency:
Monovalent,

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This morpheme is a so-called verbalisation of the allative case, i.e. N{mut}, N{nut} etc. It is added directly onto the allative ending, where it deletes the final /t/, such that we get the forms /mukaq/ and /nukaq/, depending on the form of the allative ending. The result is a new verb stem, denoting 'Subject goes to(wards) N', where N is a noun stem in the allative case. Note that the allative case ending can be either possessed or unpossessed, singular or plural. Thus, for example:

... and so on. It is often used with spatial nouns to indicate movement in a particular direction, but it can in principle be used with any noun that it makes sense to go towards, such as a building or a town name or a country.

Caveat:
Note that this morpheme is not an affix in the traditional sense, and hence it is not recorded as an affix here. Other dictionaries may list -mukarpoq, -nukarpoq as affixes, thus creating the impression that these two can be used interchangeably, but this is emphatically not the case. The allative ending is added to the noun stem first, according to the intended number (and optional possessor), and any inflection-sandhi phenomena resulting from the addition of this ending are then applied to the noun stem as normal. It is only after this process has been completed, that the present morpheme is added onto the allative ending.

As an example, consider the base {qətəq}N, 'middle', and the allative 3sg/sg possessive ending N{-anut}. The stem has metathesis, so we get

Only now can the present morpheme be added, giving us e.g. qeqqanukarpugut, 'we go towards it's middle' (e.g. the middle of a town, or similar). If -mukarpoq, -nukarpoq were simply regarded as affixes, it would seem highly confusing why the inflection-sandhi metathesis process is applied here, since affixes normally do not cause metathesis.


Meanings and examples

Only following nouns N in the allative case, possessed or unpossessed.

  • kangimukarpoq, he goes eastwards
    [13]

    From kangimut, 'eastwards', cf. the spatial noun stem {kaŋi}N, 'east area'.

  • kimmukarpoq, he goes westwards
    [13]

    From kimmut, 'westwards', cf. the spatial noun stem {kətə}N, 'west area'.

  • kujammukarpoq, he goes southwards
    [13]

    From kujammut, 'southwards', cf. the spatial noun stem {kujatə}N, 'south area'.

  • siumukarpoq, he goes forward
    [4]

    From siumut, 'forward'.

  • illutsinnukaritsi, go (you, pl) towards our house!
    [4]

    From illutsinnut, 'to hour house', and with the intransitive imperative 2pl ending.

  • Ilulissanukarpoq, He goes to(wards) Ilulissat
    [4]

    From Ilulissanut, 'to Ilulissat'. Note that the town name Ilulissat is plural, so therefore the plural allative ending N{nut} must be used.

  • Qallunaat Nunaannukarpoq, he goes to(wards) Denmark
    [4]

    From Qallunaat Nunaannut, another name for Denmark.


References