Details

General

Morphemic form: {kujatə}N
New orthography: kujataa
Old orthography: kujatâ
Sources: [MFSJLK10], [SK71], [JP67], [CWSL58], [CBBJRPIKJR97]
Combinations: View list
Constituents: {?} + N{-tə}N
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Default/none, p-declined
Stem type: tə-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

According to Kleinschmidt [SK71], the meaning of this stem is 'area to the south (of Possessor)', or 'area towards the left along the coast (of Possessor)', i.e. when looking out towards the sea. The second meaning is likely the original, because Kleinschmidt notes that the stem has the opposite meaning in East Greenland, i.e. 'north'. According to the Comparative Eskimo Dictionary [MFSJLK10], it derives from a demonstrative root {kiv-}, which has has not been inherited into Kalaallisut, and then followed by the affix N{-tə}N, which is used to create spatial nouns. Demonstratives are oriented according to the sea and the land, rather than the true directions, so it seems reasonable to assume that the meaning of the present stem originally is relative as well. However, nowadays it is only used in the sense of 'south' (i.e. the true direction) regardless of the position of the speaker.


Inflection

Inflection pattern:

Stem type: tə-stem
Inflection sandhi: Default/none, p-declined
Sources: [JP67], [SK71]

Notes on inflection:

The stem is probably only used with possessive endings, or with the un-possessed spatial/directional cases (allative, ablative, locative) in singular, where an m-initial ending elides the /ə/ and attaches to /t/. Thus, kujammut, kujammit, kujammi.


Meanings and examples

Usually with possessive endings.

Tags: Spatial/positional noun, Space

  • kujataanit ornittariaqarpoq, it should be approached from its south [SK71]

    I.e. 'from the area south of it'.

  • kujataa nasikkiartorallaak, go up on the mountain (in order) to survey the south-area [SK71]

    From nasippaa, 'he goes up on a mountain to look over it' and V{(gi)jaqtuq}V + V{gallaq}V + V{IMP.2sg/3sg} with the special, reduced imperative ending.

  • kujataanit suli tusanngilagut, we have not yet heard anything from the south/South Greenland [CWSL58]
  • kujatitsinnut pukukkiartorta, let us go to the area south of us (in order) to collect berries [CWSL58]
  • Narsaq kujammut killigaara, Narsaq was the southernmost area I reached [CWSL58]

    Literally: 'I had Narsaq as my border/boundary to the south'.

  • ... Ilivinnguaq kujammut nappullugu, ... that Ilivinnguaq turned to the south there [CWSL58]

Search the corpus for further examples.


Tags

References