Details

General

Morphemic form: N{-sik}V
New orthography: -sippoq
Old orthography: -sigpoĸ
Sources: [13, 17, 16, 19, 11]
Combinations: View list
Left sandhi: Truncative, Irregular
Right sandhi: Assibilation (t⇒s)
Inflection sandhi: Default/none
Stem type: k-stem
Diathesis: Subjective
Valency: Monovalent

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This is an old, non-productive morpheme found in some lexicalisations, meaning something like 'Actor is rather far in the N direction', with N being a spatial noun. However, it is also used with other nouns, where the meaning seems to be more like '`Actor is rather N' (see the examples).


Left sandhi:

The affix is truncative. However, there are some examples of lexicalised words, where the affix seems to have deleted more than just the final consonant. On spatial nouns ending in /tə/, it either elides /ə/ and attaches to /t/, or it attaches to the stem without the /tə/ (in cases where this appears to be a separate morpheme). Thus:


Right sandhi:

The true /i/ in the stem may assibilate a following /t/ to /s/ according to Ordbogeeraq [17], for example avasippoq ⇒ avasissoq with V{ðuq}N.


Meanings and examples

Where N indicates a direction

  • kujasippoq, it lies in the south [19]

    From directional stem {kujat(ə)}N, 'area south of'. Note: irregularly formed with loss of /tə/.

  • siusippoq, it is rather far ahead [19]

    From directional stem {sivu}N, 'area forward'.

  • qaqqasippoq, he is rather far up on the mountain [16]
  • siamasipput, they are quite spread-out [16]

    The base is an old morpheme {ciðamət(-)}, 'scatter', according to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [21]. It can apparently be either nominal or verbal, but it does not appear to have a nominal stem form in modern-day Greenlandic. Hence, this formation must be rather old.


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