Details
General
| Morphemic form: | V{naq}V |
| New orthography: | +narpoq |
| Old orthography: | -narpoĸ |
| Sources: | [9, 12, 11, 14, 8] |
| Combinations: | Click here |
| Variants: | V{naq}N, |
| Left sandhi: | Default,
ə-eliding,
|
| Right sandhi: | Default/none,
|
| Inflection sandhi: | Default/none,
|
| Stem type: | q-stem |
| Diathesis: | Subjective |
| Valency: |
Subject decreasing,
|
Description and behaviour
Form and usage:
This affix is difficult to translate into English.
Its meaning can perhaps best be expressed as 'is such as to be Vb'able' or just 'is Vb'able' as e.g. in English it is understandable, from the divalent relation Agent understands Patient.
In any case, it is used to express a less personal (or impersonal) relationship, similar to the impersonal use of 'one' in English, or rewriting a sentence to use 'it' as subject; e.g. 'I am tired of it' ⇒ 'it is tiresome'.
Thus, the point of using the affix is often to speak about oneself, but in an impersonal way.
The affix can be used on both monovalent and divalent stems, and in the latter case it reduces the valency in the following way:
On a monovalent stems (
ActorVb) it yields an avalent stem (it is such as to Vb). Alternatively, the stem may still be used in a monovalent sense, but with a differentActor.On a divalent stem (
AgentVbPatient) it yields a new monovalent stem (Patientis Vb'able). The new stem will commonly (but not always) be used with 3.sg endings in an impersonal sense, i.e. where the subject 'it' does not refer to any explicitly mentioned noun. This is explained at length by Kleinschmidt [9], albeit using a different terminology. For example:- tikippara, 'I have reached it' ⇒ tikippunga, 'I have arrived' ⇒ tikinnarpoq, 'one has arrived at it; it is arrive-able' (agentive).
- asavara, 'I love him' ⇒ (imminut) asavoq, 'he loves himself' ⇒ asanarpoq, 'he is love-able' (reflexive).
- atorpara, 'I use it' ⇒ atorpoq, 'it is used' ⇒ atornarpoq, 'it is useable' (patientive).
Kleinschmidt [9] also mentions that the Agent optionally may be referred to in the allative case, if it is different from the speaker (although this construction likely is not common).
Consider the following example:
- usoraarma, 'thou envy me',
- usornarpunga, 'I am enviable' (obviously: 'by someone else than me=the speaker'),
- ilinnut usornarnerpunga, 'am I enviable to thee (I wonder)?'
Lastly, the affix may even be used without a verbal ending at all, i.e. +naq!, in an exclamatory sense, meaning something like 'how Vb'able (it is)!'. See V{naq}N for this variant.
Left sandhi:
The affix may elide /ə/ on the preceding stem, especially in lexicalised constructions. See the examples with tupigaa and usoraa. According to Nielsen [8], this commonly happens on stems derived with V{-gə}V, but not on stems derived with N{-gə}V. Compare for example:
- illigaa ⇒ illinnarpoq with V{-gə}V, the highlighted 'n' is /g/.
- soqutigaa ⇒ soqutiginarpoq with N{-gə}V.
Alternatively, some stems, that are otherwise always used with V{-gə}V, will drop that morpheme entirely before the present affix is added; for example navianarpoq from naviagaa. However, these cases seem to be lexicalised.
Meanings and examples
On monovalent stems, the result becomes avalent; and on divalent stems, the result becomes monovalent, with the Patient as Subject.
- qiianarpoq, it is cold
[11]
From qiiavoq, 'he is cold', so literally 'it is such as to be(come) cold'.
- qasunarpoq, it is tiresome
From qasuvoq, 'he is tired', i.e. 'it is such as to be(come) tired'.
- sila illuliornarpoq, the weather is suitable for building houses
[11]
From illuliorpoq, 'he builds (a) house', so literally 'the weather is such as to be house-building (in)'.
- sinilluarnarpoq, it is such as to sleep well (here)
[11]
I.e., 'it is sleep-well-able', from sinilluarpoq, 'he sleeps well'
- paasinarpoq, it is understandable
From paasivaa, 'he understands it'.
- tupinnarpoq, it is strange
[11]
From tupigaa, 'he is puzzled by it', or 'he finds it strange/surprising' or 'such as to make one wonder' etc. Note: The base is a ə-stem, {tupigə}V, but the affix causes ə-elision so we get /tupignaqvuq/.
- usornarpoq, it is enviable
From usoraa, 'he wishes to be in his place' (he envies him). Note: The base is a ə-stem, {usurə}V, but /ə/ is elided by the affix, so we get /usurnaqvuq/.
- usornarpusi, you are fortunate
[11]
I.e. 'you are enviable'. The example illustrates that the affix also can be used in a personal sense.