Details
General
| Morphemic form: | *{una} |
| New orthography: | +una, +uku |
| Old orthography: | una |
| Combinations: | Click here |
| Left sandhi: | Default,
|
Description and behaviour
Form and usage:
This is the same as the demonstrative {una}, but here used as an enclitic. The plural form *{uku} may also be used, if referring to multiple objects. This enclitic can form a main clause, which can even take an object clause; i.e. 'it is N, that is ...'. This construction is an example of clefting in Greenlandic. There can never be coreference between the subject of the object clause and the 'dummy subject' it of the main clause formed with this enclitic; hence, the object clause will always be in the participial mood (and never in contemporative mood).
Left sandhi:
As is standard with vowel-initial enclitics, the vowel will weaken a preceding consonant in the usual way, by nasalising, or (optionally) in the case of [q], by weakening it to [r]. Thus:
- [p]*{una} ⇒ [muna]
- [t]*{una} ⇒ [nuna]
- [k]*{una} ⇒ [ŋuna]
- [q]*{una} ⇒ [Nuna], spelt 'rnguna', or [runa]
Meanings and examples
or 'they are', if the plural form *{uku} is used.
- sunaana?, what is it?
From suna? 'what' plus *{una}.
- suunuku?, what are they?
From the plural form of suna?, i.e. suut?, thus taking the plural form *{uku}.
- uangaana, it is me
From 1.sg personal pronoun {uvaŋa}.
- Piitaruna?, is it Piitaq?
With interrogative intonation. It could also be used with indicative intonation, if e.g. Piitaq called someone on the phone.
- uangaana Piitamik ateqartunga, it is _me_ whose name is Piitaq
From 1.sg personal pronoun {uvaŋa}. Here uangaana forms a main clause, and Piitamik ateqartunga is the object clause, which is in the participial mood, since there is no coreference between the subjects.