Details

General

Morphemic form: {sianəq}V
New orthography: sianerpoq, sianerpaa
Old orthography: sujanerpoĸ, sujanerpâ
Sources: [MFSJLK10], [SK71], [CWSL58], [JP67], [CBBJRPIKJR97]
Combinations: View list
Variants: {sianəq}N
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Default/none
Stem type: q-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

This stem is actually the nominal stem {sianəq}N, 'bell', used verbally. The meaning is 'Actor rings' (i.e. 'makes a ringing sound').

Kleinschmidt [SK71] also describes a transitive usage: 'Agent rings (with a bell, to call upon) Patient'. This usage is likely a calque of Danish, and a remnant of a time when the gentry would use a bell to call upon their servants. It is not mentioned in the newer dictionary Oqaatsit [CBBJRPIKJR97].

From the basic meaning 'ring', some other meanings have been derived, e.g. 'Actor rings the doorbell', and '(the clock) strikes'. A special usage is 'Actor calls (someone)' on the telephone, and also '(the telephone) rings'. This usage is from a time when a telephone contained a physical bell, but it is still used today in this same sense, even though phones no longer necessarily make a ringing sound.


Inflection

Inflection pattern:

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


Meanings and examples

This could be a physical bell, but also ringing a doorbell, a clock that strikes the hour, or a phone ringing.

Tags: Uncategorised


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Tags

References