Details
General
| Morphemic form: | V{ði}V |
| New orthography: | +sivoq, -tsivoq, +ivoq, -ivoq |
| Old orthography: | -sivoĸ, -ssivoĸ, -tsivoĸ, -ivoĸ |
| Sources: | [9, 12, 11, 8] |
| Combinations: | Click here |
| See also: | V{(k)liq}V, V{nnək}V, |
| Left sandhi: | Irregular,
tð->ts,
|
| Right sandhi: | Assibilation (t⇒s),
|
| Inflection sandhi: | Default/none,
|
| Stem type: | Vowel stem |
| Diathesis: | Subjective |
| Valency: |
Patient decreasing,
|
Description and behaviour
Form and usage:
This affix is a so-called 'half-transitivising' morpheme, abbreviated HTR, which is used to give divalent, patient-preserving stems intransitive form, without changing the meaning of the stem. The concept of HTR-morphemes and their usage is further described on this page: Half-transitive affixes.
The present affix is the most commonly used HTR-morpheme. It is used on most stems, except ə-stems and a few other vowel stems. However, it can take a number of different forms, because of its irregular left-sandhi (see below).
Left sandhi:
The present affix has some rather irregular left-sandhi rules. In fact, in Schultz-Lorentzen [11], it is recorded as two separate affixes, -ivoĸ and sivoĸ, -ssivoĸ, -tsivoĸ. However, according to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, these forms derive from the same morpheme {ði-}, so we also record it here as a single affix.
The issue is how it joins onto the various stem types. Generally, the rules are as follows:
Generally, on q-stems, /ð/ drops, and the affix behaves as V{-i}V, i.e. et joins truncatively onto the stem. However, sometimes it may behave as V{si}V instead. For example:
- atorpaa ⇒ atuivoq (common).
- najorpaa ⇒ najorsivoq, spelt najorsivoĸ in the old orthography (uncommon).
However, on stems ending on /VVq/ or /əq/, the affix cannot remove the final /q/, so it instead weakens it to /r/, i.e. it behaves as V{+i}V and joins additively onto the stem. For example:
- uumisaarpaa ⇒ uumisaarivoq.
- imerterpaa ⇒ imerterivoq.
On k-stems, the affix normally behaves as V{si}V and joins regularly (additively) onto the stem. However, it may sometimes behave as V{-i}V and join truncatively onto the stem instead. For example:
- nuuppaa from {nuuk}V ⇒ nuussivoq, spelt nûgsivoĸ in the old orthography (common).
- asappaa from {acak}V ⇒ asaavoq, spelt assaivoĸ in the old orthography (uncommon).
On t-stems, it joins regularly (additively) onto the stem, and /tð/ do not assimilate, so /tð/ ⇒ 'ts'. For example: nuuppaa from {nuut}V ⇒ nuutsivoq.
On vowel-stems (a, i, u), the affix behaves as V{ði}V or V{si}V and joins regularly onto the stem. For example:
- tunivaa ⇒ tunisivoq, old orthography tunissivoĸ.
- tiguaa ⇒ tigusivoq, old orthography tigusivoĸ.
It is unclear when the form V{si}V is used instead of the expected form V{ði}V. However, this distinction does not matter in the new orthography, since [c] and [s] are both spelt 's'.
On ə-stems that do take {ði} (which is uncommon), /ə/ is elided, and the affix instead behaves as V{ci}V and joins onto the preceding consonant. For example paaraa ⇒ paarsivoq, spelt pârssivoĸ in the old orthography.
On t(ə)-stems, the affix behaves as V{ci}V and joins onto /t/ as expected. Here, there are two possibilities:
Usually, the /t/ is assimilated by /c/, so /t(ə)ci/ ⇒ [cci]. For example -uppaa ⇒ ussivoq, spelt -ússivoĸ in the old orthography.
However, in some cases, the /t/ is not assimilated by /c/, so /t(ə)ci/ ⇒ [tci] ⇒ 'tsi' instead. For example avaqquppaa ⇒ avaqqutsivoq.
See further under the right-sandhi section for V{-(cc)ut(ə)}V.
These are the general rules, but there are many exceptions. In some cases, there are even multiple possible HTR-stems, which may have slightly different meanings; for example errorpaa, 'he washes it', which has two different HTR-forms:
- erruivoq, 'he washes the dishes', regularly formed according to the rules above.
- errorsivoq, 'he washes clothes', irregularly formed with V{si}V on a q-stem.
Thus, in the present dictionary, we record the HTR-form(s) of verbal stems.
Meanings and examples
- tigusivoq, he takes (something)
[11]
From tiguaa, 'he takes it'. Note: here V{si}V is used; tigusivoĸ in the old orthography.
- najorsivoq, he smells (something)
[11]
From najorpaa, 'he smells it; he sniffs it'. Note: this is irregularly formed; najorsivoĸ in the old orthography.
- tunisivoq, he gives (something) (to someone)
[11]
From tunivaa, 'he gives it (to someone)'. Note: here V{ði}V is used; tunissivoĸ in the old orthography.
- ilisarsivoq, he recognises (something)
[11]
From ilisaraa, so this is an example of a ə-stem taking the present HTR-morpheme. This is spelt ilisarssivoĸ in the old orthography, as expected.
- atuivoq, he uses (something)
[11]
From atorpaa, 'he uses it'.
- asaavoq, he washes (something)
[11]
From asappaa, 'he washes it (e.g. the floor)'. Note: this is a k-stem, spelt assagpâ, assaivoĸ in the old orthography.