Examples
Meaning
poor, useless N
Notes
Also 'pathetic', 'bad' etc., sometimes with connotations of 'small'. It can also be used in an endearing sense with names.
| Kalaallisut | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| aalisagaarsuk | a bad/pathetic(aly small) fish | |
| inuarsuk | a pathetic person | |
| maliarsuk | a small wave | Seemingly 'pathetic' implies 'small' here. |
| iputaarsuk | a bad/useless oar | From iput, 'oar', so a tÉ™-stem. |
| saarullivarsuk | a bad/pathetic(aly small) cod | It is unclear why the /v/ should be injected here (compare maliarsuk). This may be an irregularity or just an optional form (but see notes under the variant V{-aqcuk}V). |
| unaavarsuk | a bad/useless harpoon | From unaaq, 'harpoon', with /VV/ triggering phonotactic epenthesis of /v/. |
| pulateriaarsuk | snake | From pulateriaq, 'earth worm'. |
| piarsuit | rubbish | Literally 'useless things'. |
| toornaarsuk | little helper spirit | A helping spirit of the angakkoq (shaman). Here, the affix is used in an endearing sense. |
| taannaraarsuk | the dear/sweet one | Here, the affix is used in an endearing sense. |
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