Details

General

Morphemic form: V{(t)sii}V
New orthography: -tsiivaa, +siivaa
Old orthography: -tsîvâ, -sîvâ
Sources: [CWSL58], [CBBJRPIKJR97], [FAJN19]
Combinations: View list
Left sandhi: Default, Irregular
Right sandhi: Assibilation (t⇒s)
Inflection sandhi: Default/none
Stem type: Vowel stem
Diathesis: Agentive (NPP)
Valency: Agent increasing

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This is a valency-increasing affix: it adds new roles to the relation, and it can form so-called 'double-transitive' verbs, if used on a divalent-stem. See further the general description of these constructions here: Double-transitive constructions.

The meaning of this affix is 'Agent waits for Patient to Vb'. It is a variant of V{(t)siq}V, seemingly formed from the HTR-form of that affix, even though the present affix itself is also used in the same valency-increasing sense. Thus, it may be difficult to determine, whether an occurrence of /(t)sii/ in an actual word is the present affix, or the HTR-form of V{(t)siq}V. Furthermore, the meaning of the two variants seem to be the same, so it is unclear when one should be preferred over the other.

There does not appear to be a HTR-form (if one exists, we should expect it to be /siici/). Thus, if a HTR construction is required, then the variant V{(t)siq}V should probably be used (which then would yield the HTR-form /(t)sii/, which is equal to the present affix). Hence, we record this form as agentive, since the HTR-form is equal to to the affix itself.


Left sandhi:

The affix is regularly epenthetic, i.e. (t) is inserted on vowel stems. However, note that the initial /s/ will not assimilate a preceding /t/, i.e. either if the epenthetic /t/ is inserted or if the preceding stem ends in /t/ (or t(ə), since the affix is additive.). In both these cases, the form will thus be -tsii-.


Meanings and examples

Or 'waits until Patient Vb'.

  • allitsiivaa, he waits for it to become big [CBBJRPIKJR97]

    From allivoq 'it becomes bigger'.

  • tikitsiivaa, he waits for him to arrive [CBBJRPIKJR97]

    From {təkit}V, so /t/ is not assimilated.

  • taarsitsiivaa, he waits for darkness to fall [CBBJRPIKJR97]

    I.e., he waits for 'it' to become dark.

  • oqarsiivaa, he waits for him to say something [CBBJRPIKJR97]
  • anissiivaa, he waits for him to go out [CBBJRPIKJR97]

    Note: irregularly. It should be anitsiivaa, since this is a vowel stem, {anə}V. Hence, it cannot even be due to assibilation. This may be an error.

  • ilatsiivai, he waits for them to become bigger [CWSL58]

    Or 'more numerous'? From ilavoq, 'it has become bigger'.

  • uku inersiigallakkit, wait (thou) until these are finished! [CWSL58]
  • silanngorsiivaa, he waits for the weather to get better [CWSL58]

    Literally: 'he waits for it to become (better) weather'

  • iluarsitsiivaa, he waits for it to be(come) alright [FAJN19]

    From iluarsivoq, 'it becomes alright'.

  • isersiivoq, he waits for someone to come in [CWSL58]

    From iserpoq, 'he enters'. Notice that the meaning here remains active: the Patient role is dropped, so the stem is agentive.


Tags

References