Details

General

Morphemic form: {kanajuq}N
New orthography: kanajoq, kanassut, kanioq, kanissut
Old orthography: kanajoq, kanásut, kanioĸ, kanísut
Sources: [SK71], [JP67], [CWSL51], [CWSL58], [CBBJRPIKJR97]
Combinations: View list
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Geminating
Stem type(s): Weak q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This stem denotes 'arctic sculpin' (Myoxocephalus scorpius), a type of bottom-dwelling fish.

According to Kleinschmidt and Schultz-Lorentzen [SK71], [CWSL58], this stem has a variant form kanioĸ, kanísut, which is used in North Greenlandic. We do not record this as a separate stem here, but it can be obtained from the present form /kanajuq/ by changing this /a/ to /i/, i.e. /kanijuq/.


Inflection sandhi:

This stem displays a very rare, irregular form of gemination of /j/ ⇒ /ss/, rather than the usual [cc] or [tc] predicted by the usual sound rules. This also happens for the North Greenlandic variant form /kanijuq/.


Inflection

Declension pattern:

Stem type: Weak q-stem
Declension type: p-declined
Declension sandhi: Geminating
Gemination type: j⇒ss

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography kanassu kanaju kanajoq, kanassup, kanassut,
Old orthography kanásu kanaju kanajoĸ, kanásup, kanásut,
Phonemic orthography kanassu kanaju kanajuq, kanassup, kanassut,

Notes on declension:

In the phonological inflection, we record the geminated consonant as /ss/, rather than /jj/, since /jj/ does not normally take the sound [ss] according to the sound rules.


Meanings and examples


References