Details

General

Morphemic form: {kiinaq}N
New orthography: kiinaq, kiinnat
Old orthography: kînaĸ, kĩnat
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 has two meanings:

According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [MFSJLK10], the reconstructed historical form of this stem is {kəɣinaʀ}, so the first vowel is actually /ə/, which then has taken the sound [i], since it is followed by a consonant /ɣ/. However, this consonant then later appears to have dropped, thus leaving the /ə/ frozen with the sound [i]. For this reason, we record the form here as /kiinaq/, since /kəinaq/ would not yield the correct form by the sound rules. Another possibility would be to record it as /kəjinaq/, by assuming /ɣ/ were realised as /j/, which then would be unwritten in the new orthography. However, this seems needlessly complicated, so we prefer the simpler solution /kiinaq/ here.


Inflection sandhi:

This stem has non-standard gemination of /n/ to /nn/. Note also the special, archaic absolutive 4sg/sg form, kiinni, also triggering gemination.


Inflection

Declension pattern:

Stem type: Weak q-stem
Declension type: p-declined
Declension sandhi: Geminating
Gemination type: n⇒nn

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography kiinna kiina kiinaq, kiinnap, kiinnat, kiinni,
Old orthography kĩna kîna kînaq, kĩnap, kĩnat, kĩni,
Phonemic orthography kiinna kiina kiinaq, kiinnap, kiinnat, kiinni,


Meanings and examples

  • kiinaa, his face [SK71]
  • kiinnat, thy face [SK71]

Of a knife, or another sharp/cutting tool.


References