Details

General

Morphemic form: V{-rijaq}N, V{-gijaq}N
New orthography: -riaq, -rissat, -giaq, -gissat
Old orthography: -iaĸ
Sources: [SK71, as .giaq], [CWSL58], [CBBJRPIKJR97]
Combinations: View list
See also: V{(v)vik}N
Ancestor(s): +{jar}N (PE)
Left sandhi: Truncative
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Weak stem, Geminating, p-declined, j⇒cc
Stem type: q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The meaning of this affix is somewhat obscure; something like 'place/thing where one must Vb'. It is seldom used productively nowadays, except perhaps in place names. Instead a construction with V{(v)vik}N would more commonly be used today. However, it is found in a number of lexicalised combinations, even sometimes also following a noun stem.

Etymology and form
According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [MFSJLK10], the affix derives from an historical morpheme +{jar}N. The initial part is unexplained, but given the meaning, it seems reasonable that it might be from +{ki}V, which would yield the Inuit form /gijaq/. This form is indeed seen in some lexicalised constructions, for example:

Notice that in all these cases, the base is a k-stem. Thus, it seems likely that the form of this affix originally was {-gijaq}, with a 'truncative/fusional' /g/ that would delete a stem-final consonant /kt/ but still merge with /q/ to /r/. However, over time, the form {-rijaq} may have arisen as a generalisation from q-stems, such that it today is used on all stem types, including vowel stems (which otherwise should reveal the initial consonant), for example sangoriaq, 'turn (in a road)' from {saŋu}V, 'to turn'.

We therefore record the form as V{-rijaq}N here, since that appears to be the productive form, but note the g-initial form as an alternative.


Left sandhi:

The affix may appear as {-gijaq}, i.e. with an initial, truncative /g/ on old k-stems in lexicalised constructions. However, this behaviour does not appear to be productive nowadays.


Inflection

Inflection pattern:

Stem type: q-stem
Inflection sandhi: Weak stem, Geminating, p-declined, j⇒cc

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography -rissa -ria -riaq, -rissap, -rissat
Phonemic orthography -rijja -rija -rijaq, -rijjap, -rijjat

Notes on inflection:

The unwritten /j/ geminates to /jj/, which is devoiced to [cc].


Meanings and examples

  • ateriaq, place where one must descend [CBBJRPIKJR97]

    From {atəq}V, 'go down'

  • sangoriaq, turn [CBBJRPIKJR97]

    A turn in a road, i.e. a place where one must make a turn, from {saŋu}V, 'make a turn'.

  • majo(ra)riaq, place where one must ascend [CWSL58]

    From {majuq}V, 'go up'. Note: Schultz-Lorentzen [CWSL58] has majorariaq, whereas Oqaatsit [CBBJRPIKJR97] has just majoriaq with this meaning.

  • sermersioriaa, (its, i.e. the land's) place where one must cross the glacier [SK71]

    I.e., 'here one must cross the glacier'. With N{siuq}V and absolutive 3sg/sg possessive ending N{-a}.

  • kiinaasarsioriaa, (its, i.e. the land's) place where one must aim for/go in the direction of Mt. Kiinaasaq [SK71]
  • naloraariaq, ford

    The place where one must ford a river, from naloraarpoq, 'he fords a body of water'.

  • issiaviit sanileriittarissat, double seats [MV81]

    Literally: 'seats that (habitually) must be neighbours to each other'. The example also illustrates that the stem indeed geminates.


Search the corpus for further examples.


References