Details

General

Morphemic form: {avatə}N
New orthography: avat, avataa, avammut
Old orthography: avat, avatâ, avámut
Sources: [SK71], [JP67], [CWSL58], [CBBJRPIKJR97]
Combinations: View list
Constituents: {av}D + {?} + N{-tə}N
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Default/none, p-declined
Stem type: tə-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This is a spatial noun with a range of meanings. Kleinschmidt gives several, which can be summarised thus:

  1. 'The outside' or 'outer rim/border of Possessor (as opposed to {təmə}N. This can include the frame of a picture, a decorative border on a dress, and even the limbs (arms, legs; and on animals: finns, wings, etc.), as opposed to the torso.
  2. 'The outer side/surface of Possessor' (similar to {silatə}N and opposite of {ilutə}N). This could e.g. be the outer (front) side of a wall or door.
  3. 'The space outside of/surrounding Possessor'.

Note that, according to Kleinschmidt [SK71], the stem is only used with possessive endings, except in the allative case where it may also be used with the unmarked allative singular ending, avammut, 'outwards'.

Etymology
According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [MFSJLK10], the stem is built from the demonstrative base {av}D, and N{-tə}N which is commonly used to derive spatial nouns. It is not explained what the /a/ occurring between them is. This might be the so-called 'demonstrative' /a/, but since it is not certain, we record it as unknown here.


Meanings and examples

Either a rim/border; an outside surface; or a space.

  • avataani, in the space outside of it [SK71]
  • avatitsinni, outside of us [SK71]

    E.g. a lake outside of the place where we live.

  • avataagut, (going) around it [SK71]

    I.e., moving along, but beyond of, its perimeter

  • avataanit, from (the area) outside of it [SK71]
  • avammut, outwards [SK71]

    E.g., out from the land.

  • annorassap avataa, the brim/border of the dress [CWSL58]

    A kind of decorative band sown along the edge/seam.


Search the corpus for further examples.


Tags

References