Examples
Meaning
Subject is as Vb'ing (as something)
Description
This affix is used with stems of state to express an equal degree of Vb'ing between the subject, and some other object of comparison (denotes 'as something' in the translation). This object of comparison is usually marked with an equalis case ending (meaning 'as'), but there are also other possibilities. Here are three common structures:
- {noun}N{tut} {verb}V{təgə}V, 'subject is as Vb'ing as noun' where noun is marked with an equalis case.
- {qanuq} {verb}V{təgə}V + interrogative, 'how Vb'ing is the subject?' with the interrogative particle {qanuq}, 'how/what' instead of an object of comparison
- {ima} {verb}V{təgə}V, 'subject is as vb'ing as that', with the demonstrative ima, 'thus/that', instead of an explicit object of comparison. This would be used if you are e.g. pointing at an object to indicate the degree of Vb'ing, such as 'as green as that' or 'as tall as that' etc. This construction can also be used, if you are referring to some previously mentioned entity. In that case, the anaphoric form {taima} (taama(k)) would be used instead of {ima}.
| Kalaallisut | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Piitaq ataatamisut angitigaaq | Piitaq is as big as his father | Here the explicit object of comparison is ataata, with EQU.4sg/sg possessive ending N{misut}, 'his (own) N'.The verb stem is {aŋə}V, 'Actor is big'. |
| Piitaq qanoq angitigaa? | how big is Piitaq? | With interrogative 3sg ending V{va}. Schwa-contraction deletes the single /v/ from the ending, thus yielding angitigaa. |
| ima angitigaaq | he is as tall as this | where this e.g. may be indicated with the hands. |
| paasisinnaanngilaat sooq uanga taamak ungasitsigisumut aallarusuppunga | they couldn't understand why I wanted to travel to something as distant as that | This is a longer example. The word containing V{təgə}V is ungasitsigisumut, built from {uŋasik}V{təgə}V{ðuq}N{mut}. The base is {uŋasik}V, 'is distant/far away' followed by V{təgə}V, and then intransitive participle V{ðuq}N, thus yielding a noun meaning 'something as distant (as that)' where 'as that' is expressed by the anaphoric demonstrative taamak, referring to a previously described place (the example istaken from Per Langgård's 'Grønlandsk for Voksne'). |
Back