Details

General

Morphemic form: N{suk}N
New orthography: +suk
Old orthography: -suk, -ssuk
Sources: [MFSJLK10], [JP67, The entry for -suk seems to correspond to yuɣ, ðuɣ]
Combinations: View list
Ancestor(s): +{jug}N (PE)
Left sandhi: Default
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Regular stem, Default/none, up-declined
Stem type: k-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This is a non-productive morpheme found in some lexicalised words. According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [MFSJLK10], it derives from a morpheme +{jug}N, 'something resembling N', which alternatively might have had the form /ðug/.


Left sandhi:

According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [MFSJLK10], the historical morpheme +{jug}N might alternatively have had the form /ðug/. This is also reflected in Kalaallisut, where this affix sometimes appears as -ssuk in the old orthography, i.e. as {cuk} instead of {suk}. See for example the affix N{-aqcuk}N and N{-sukcuk}N.

As the affix is non-productive, and all these combinations are lexicalised, we shall not here attempt to account for this alternation here, but merely note that it appears to have happened in some cases.


Inflection

Inflection pattern:

Stem type: k-stem
Inflection sandhi: Regular stem, Default/none, up-declined

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography +suk +su +suk, +suup, +suit
Phonemic orthography suk su suk, suup, suit

Notes on inflection:

In Ordbogeeraq [JP67], it is mentioned that the plural form is -suit as expected. Hence, we assume stem declines as an up-declined regular k-stem.


Meanings and examples

  • inussuk, cairn [CWSL58, Under the entry for inugsuk.]

    I.e. a pile of stone to mark a path in the mountains. From inuk, 'human', so literally 'something resembling a human'. Old orthography: inugsuk.

  • marlussuit, a pair; two pieces [CWSL58, Under the entry for mardlugsuit.]

    From marluk, also in singular: marlussuk, 'two numbers/figures'. Old orthography: mardlugsuk.


Search the corpus for further examples.


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References