Details

General

Morphemic form: {ajuq}V
New orthography: ajorpoq, ajorpaa
Old orthography: ajorpoĸ, ajorpâ
Sources: [MFSJLK10], [SK71], [CWSL58], [JP67], [CBBJRPIKJR97]
Combinations: View list
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Default/none
Stem type: q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The basic meaning of this stem seems to be to express uselessness (either in general, or towards some specific purpose). It is usually translated as 'Actor is bad' (in any sense of the word), or 'Actor is broken/not working/out of order' etc., which can be considered a more specific sense of the former. Thus, it can be used to describe e.g. to a person who is ill, or feeling unwell, but also a machine that is not working, or a product that is faulty or of a poor quality etc.

In the first sense, it can also be in an avalent sense 'it is bad', when used with a 3p.sg ending without an explicit specification of the subject. Note that the only way to express that something is good (or working, or in order, or OK) is to negate this stem with V{ŋŋit}V. Thus, ajunngilaq is the standard way of expressing confirmation similar to English 'OK' or 'alright'.

Note that this stem is also used in a special construction with V{nəq}N to express the negation of the habitual affix V{ðaq}V. We record this construction as a 'pseudo-morpheme', cf. V{nəq ajuq}V. Some of the examples given in Kleinschmidt [SK71] seem to be of this construction, so we record them there instead.

Lastly, the dictionaries also describe a transitive usage of {ajuq}V, 'Agent cannot handle/is useless against Patient'. However, from the examples in Kleinschmidt [SK71] it seems that all those cases where this happens are actually instances of the V{nəq ajuq}V construction used on divalent stems, but possibly with a verb with V{nəq}N missing. These could therefore also be expressed with V{nəq ajuq}V. This usage does not seem to be common.


Inflection

Inflection pattern:

Stem type: q-stem
Inflection sandhi: Default/none


Meanings and examples

Tags: Being

  • ajorpoq, it is bad/not good
  • ajunngilaq, it is good/ok/alright

    With negation affix V{ŋŋit}V (see this for an explanation of the ending).

Tags: Being

  • ajorpoq, it does not work/is out of order
  • ajorpunga, I am unwell/ill
  • nusuutit kilernernut nutaanut ajorput, A vesicant does not work on fresh wounds. [SK71]
  • aataat amii aleralugit ajorput, skin of aataat [type of seal] does not work for leather straps (for hunting) [SK71]

This usage is uncommon.

Tags: Being

  • ooqanngitsut ajorpakka, I cannot (eat) anything raw/unboiled [SK71]

    This is an example where the verb with V{nəq}N seems to have been omitted. I read it as if there is an implied nerineq, so literally 'I never eat raw/uncooked things'.

  • matua ajoqaara, I cannot (open) the door [SK71]

    Another example where a verb seems to have been omitted; here, I assume ammarneq, so literally 'I (highly) never open the door'. The verb is {ajuq}V + V{-qə}V + V{IND.1sg/3sg}.


Search the corpus for further examples.


Tags

References