Details

General

Morphemic form: {tamaq}N
New orthography: tamarma, tamarpit, tamaat, tamarmi, tamatta, tamassi, tamaasa, tamarmik
Old orthography: tamarma, tamarpit, tamât, tamarme, tamavta, tamavse, tamaisa, tamarmik
Sources: [9, 12, 11, 14]
Combinations: Click here
See also: {əluuŋŋaq}N,
Right sandhi:
Default/none,
Inflection sandhi:
Default/none,
Stem type: Strong q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This is a so-called quantitative stem, used to denote 'whole' (in singular) and 'all' (in plural). As Kleinschmidt [9] notes: this stem denotes the whole, consisting of all its parts; i.e. the whole is composed of multiple parts. In contrast, the stem {əluuŋŋaq}N denotes a whole, which is a unity; thus, for the plural meaning 'multiple wholes', {əluuŋŋaq}N would be used instead. However, the latter does not seem to be used as commonly today as {tamaq}N, which nowadays may be used in both senses of 'whole'.


Inflection

Declension pattern:

Declension type: None
Declension sandhi: Default/none

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography tamar tama
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-
-
tamaat
Phonemic orthography tamaq tama
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tamaat

Notes on declension:

This affix is a nominative-accusative stem. Thus, it is never used with absolutive endings, nor with unpossessed ergative endings. It is only used with the ergative possessive endings, i.e. tamarma, tamarpit, ..., tamarmik. For the 3sg possessive form, the ending N{-at} is used, i.e. tamaat; but for the 3pl form, the plural form N{-isa} is used, i.e. tamaasa. Apart from this, the endings are added regularly. The other nominative-accusative stems inflect similarly, so we here provide three common examples, (adapted from [8]):

Person tamaq kəsi ŋŋaq
1sg: tamaqma ⇒ tamarma kəsima ⇒ kisima ŋŋaqma ⇒ -nngarma
2sg: tamaqvət ⇒ tamarpit kəsivət ⇒ kisivit ŋŋaqvət ⇒ -nngarpit
3sg (obj): tamaat ⇒ tamaat kəsiat ⇒ kisiat ŋŋaat ⇒ -nngaat
4sg (sbj): tamaqmi ⇒ tamarmi kəsimi ⇒ kisimi ŋŋaqmi ⇒ -nngarmi
1du: tamaknuk ⇒ tamannuk kəsiknuk ⇒ kisinnuk ŋŋaknuk ⇒ -nngannuk
2du: tamaktək ⇒ tamatsik kəsiktək ⇒ kisitsik ŋŋaktək ⇒ -nngatsik
3du (obj): tamaknək ⇒ tamannik kəsiknək ⇒ kisinnik ŋŋaknək ⇒ -nngannik
4du (sbj): tamakmək ⇒ tamammik kəsikmək ⇒ kisimmik ŋŋaqmək ⇒ -nngarmik
1pl: tamamtə ⇒ tamatta kəsimtə ⇒ kisitta ŋŋamtə ⇒ -nngatta
2pl: tamavsi ⇒ tamassi kəsivsi ⇒ kisissi ŋŋavsi ⇒ -nngassi
3pl (obj): tamaisə ⇒ tamaasa kəsiisə ⇒ kisiisa ŋŋaisə ⇒ -nngaasa
4pl (sbj): tamaqmək ⇒ tamarmik kəsimək ⇒ kisimik ŋŋaqmək ⇒ -nngarmik

A special feature of the ergative forms is that the 1st and 2nd person forms are used for _both_ subject and object: thus _tamarma_ means 'I/me entirely', _tamarpit_ means 'thou/thee entirely' and so on. However, the 3rd person forms, _tamaat, tamaasa_, are _only_ used for `Object`s; and the 4th person forms, _tamarmi, tamarmik_, are _only_ used for `Subject`s, regardless of whether the sentence is transitive or intransitive. Thus, unlike normal nouns, {tamaq}N and the other quantitative stems follow a nominative-accusative pattern in the 3rd/4th person, rather than the usual absolutive-ergative pattern. For example, in the sentences

the 4pl form tamarmik is used to specify the Subject in both cases, even though the first is intransitive and the second is transitive. Conversely, in

the 3pl form tamaasa is used, because it specifies the Object of the sentence.

The stem may be used with a few, noun-extending affixes, especially N{(q)cuaq}N and N{(q)luinnaq}N, but the resulting stem still has to be used with the ergative possessive endings and follow the nominative-accusative pattern as described above.

Lastly, the present stem may also be used with prepositional case endings, but given its meaning, it is only used in plural, i.e. tamanik, tamani, tamanut, tamanit, or in possessive form; e.g. tamatsinnut, 'to us all', tamassinnit, 'from all of you', and so on.


Meanings and examples

In singular, the meaning is 'whole', in plural 'all'.

  • ulloq tamaat, the whole day [9]

    As object.

  • nukit tamaat, all thy force [9]

    As object.

  • tamarmi qaqorpoq, all of it is white [9]
  • tamassuarmik, everyone [11]

    As subject, and with N{(q)cuaq}N for further emphasis.

  • tamarluinnaasa tiguakka, I took them all [11]

    As object and with N{(q)luinnaq}N for emphasis.

  • tamarluinnatta angerlarpugut, we all departed/left [11]

    With N{(q)luinnaq}N for emphasis.

  • tamani tamaani, everywhere [11]

    Literally in everything and in its all. The first form is the unpossessed locative case in plural, and the second form is the 3sg possessive locative.

  • tamarma sajuppunga, my whole body is shaking [14]

    Literally: 'all of me is shaking'.


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