Details

General

Morphemic form: {kaŋəq}N
New orthography: kangeq, kangerit, karrit
Old orthography: kangeĸ, kangerit, karrit
Sources: [MFSJLK10]
Combinations: View list
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Weakening, Metathesis
Stem type(s): Strong q-stem, Strong q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The primary meaning of this stem is 'headland; promontory', and this meaning is found in several dictionaries [SK71], [CWSL58], [CBBJRPIKJR97]. Kleinschmidt [SK71] describes it as: "A promontory (mountain) that sticks out from the mainland towards the sea", or occasionally by an inland lake. This is also commonly used for place names.

Kleinschmidt [SK71] also mentions a separate meaning: 'a bunch of flowers' or 'grains' or 'seed pod' on the top of a plant. The relation to the other meaning seems to be that the original meaning of this morpheme is 'top' (of something), which then either can be a mountain or the top of a flowering plant (i.e. the grains). However, this meaning is not found in the other dictionaries, so it is likely not used nowadays.

According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [MFSJLK10], both meanings are indeed from the same root, {kaŋəʀ}. However, the latter meaning is only used with metathesised forms of this stem, e.g. karra, 'the top of it'. When used in the sense of 'headland', the stem normally declines with weakening nowadays.


Inflection sandhi:

According to Schultz-Lorentzen [CWSL51], this stem may decline either with weakening (regular), or with an irregular form of metathesis, where /qŋ/ become [χχ], rather than [NN] as usual when the consonant in the stem is a nasal. Thus, e.g. the plural form can be either kangerit (weakening) or karrit (metathesis).


Inflection

Declension pattern:

Stem type: Strong q-stem
Declension type: up-declined
Declension sandhi: Weakening

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography kanger kanger kangeq, kangerup, kangerit,
Old orthography kanger kanger kangeĸ, kangerup, kangerit,
Phonemic orthography kaŋəq kaŋər kaŋəq, kaŋərup, kaŋərit,

Notes on declension:

This is the inflection with weakening. This inflection is described both in Ordbogeeraq [JP67] and by Schultz-Lorentzen [CWSL51]. The stem is a strong q-stem and inflects with up-declension.


Declension pattern:

Stem type: Strong q-stem
Declension type: up-declined
Declension sandhi: Metathesis
Metathesis type: ŋq⇒rr

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography kanger karr kangeq, karrup, karrit,
Old orthography kanger karr kangeĸ, karrup, karrit,
Phonemic orthography kaŋəq kaŋq kaŋəq, kaŋqup, kaŋqit,

Notes on declension:

This is the inflection with metathesis and up-declension. It is only mentioned in [CWSL51]. Note that the metathesised consonant cluster /ŋq/ become /rr/, pronounced [χχ] and spelt 'rr'.


Meanings and examples

I.e., the top of a plant, like the grains on top of a wheat plant, or the flowers or seed pod on the top of a flowering plant. This meaning is only with the forms with metathesis, e.g. karrit.


Tags

References