Class digits, inflexions and affixes
The Greenlandic morphemes (i.e.
meaningful parts of words) are written with a digit for syntactic class on
their right. The digit indicates that the morpheme is
0: (the last in) a word
1: the first part of a verbal
inflexion
2: a verbal stem, or an affix
forming a verbal stem
3: the first (or not last) part of a
complex nominal inflexion
4: a noun stem, or an affix forming
a noun stem
6: a demonstrative stem
7: a pronominal stem inflecting for person_and_number
8: a 'directional stem'
9: a prefix or connector
8 is a sort of noun stem, see below;
6 and 7 are also nominal.
The following morpheme in a
composite Greenlandic word must have this class on its left. Morphemes which
may be the first in a word, i.e. prefixes and stems, have the left class 9 -
also in Danish. The class digits 1..8 are replaced by
Now give the Greenlandic word "anuerpaa" through [analysis -]:
anuerpaa, a=nu=er=paa
(2 2 3 4)
Osep: (i9;105 1) {anu} >anuerpaa S spænder den
fra, tager seletøjet af den, slipper den løs E unharnesses
it, lets it loose *
Osep(2): (i9;105 2) P * >anuerpaa (=qimmeq =qimuttoq). tak: =anu,
=anut
More (double click / tap) : K p g 0 2 3 6
(There is more stress on the heavier
syllables. "rp" in a=nu=er=paa denotes a long p with retracted pronounciation
[uvularisation] of the preceding vowel.)
0 : enkleste analyse(r) E simplest analysis/analyses
Analysis
: anuer/pa/a = anueq2.Paq1.a0 (indi,3e,3e)
<anueq2 verbalstamme E
verbal stem> OseP: (i9;105 1) {anu}
>anuerpaa S spænder den fra, tager seletøjet af
den, slipper den løs E unharnesses it, lets it loose *
<.Paq1 indikativ (fremsættemåde) E indicative>
<.a0 3. person ental, Objekt
= 3. person ental E 3rd person
singular, Object = 3rd person singular>
More (double click / tap) : K O p g 2 3 6
2
Analysis : anu/er/pa/a = anu4.eq2.Paq1.a0 (indi,3e,3e)
<anu4 navnestamme E noun
stem> OseP: (i9;96 1) {PE 335 anu}
>anu (/S >anut ) .
sele (til et trækdyr) E harness, dogs'
traces *
<.eq2 føjes til navnestamme, danner
verbalstamme E is added to a noun
stem, forms a verbal stem> 'tager ..
af/fra den/ham' .erpaa
<.Paq1 indikativ (fremsættemåde) E indicative>
<.a0 3. person ental, Objekt
= 3. person ental E 3rd
person singular, Object = 3rd person singular>
More (double click / tap) : K O p g 0 3 6
"anut" (plural of "anu")
means 'harness, dogs' traces'. The affix .erpaa means
'robs/strips it of .., takes away .. from it'. The hunter strips the dog of its harness. .erpaa is added to a noun stem (4) as explained.
"anut" through [analysis -] gives:
anut, a=nut (2 3)
Osep: (i9;96 1) {PE 33:5 anu} >anu (/S >anut ) . sele (til et trækdyr) E harness,
dogs' traces *
Osep(2): (i9;96 3) P >anut, tq
More (double click / tap): K p g
0 1 2 4 5
0 : enkleste analyse(r) E simplest analysis/analyses
Analysis : anu/t = anu4.#°t0
(f,)
<anu4 navnestamme E noun
stem> OseP: (i9;96 1) {PE 33:5 anu}
>anu (/S >anut ) . sele
(til et trækdyr) E harness, dogs'
traces *
<.#°t0 flertal
E plural>
More (double click / tap) : K O p g 1 2 4 5
"anuerpaa" anueq2.Paq1.a0 (indi,3e,3e) is a verb,
"anu" anu4.€0 (e,n)
[singular, nominative] and "anut" anu4.#°t0
(f,) [plural] are nouns. Verbal stems, and affixes (i.e. stem expanders) which
form verbal stems, have a digit 2 on their right. Noun stems, and affixes which
form them, have a digit 4 on their right. The last morpheme in a word always
has a digit 0 on its right.
Most verbal inflexions consist of a
morpheme with 1 on its right and a following morpheme with 0 on its right. The
first morpheme indicates mood, here indicative. The last morpheme in a complex
verbal inflexion indicates the person_and_number of
Subject and possibly Object; both have the value 3e = 3rd person singular
('he/she/it') in the example "anuerpaa"
(indi,3e,3e).
A Greenlandic verb may have Subject
and Object further specified by a nominal in the sentence, but it is optional. When
there is an Object, the term Agent will be used instead of Subject. So
transitive verbs have Agent and Object, and intransitive verbs have Subject
only.
The intransitive form "anuerpoq" is not in the dictionary. If you give it in,
the programme will suggest the corresponding transitive form ("anuerpaa"). (And conversely when the
transitive form is not in the dictionary.) The programme also suggests
"-anuerpoq" = "anuerpoq"
through [analysis -].
Greenlandic verbs have a value of
mood (here indi[cative]) on the first place in
the inflexional parentheses whith abbreviations for
the syntactical indications of the inflexion [here: (indi,3e,3e)]. Greenlandic
nouns and other nominals have a value of case on the
last place in their inflexional parentheses. "anu" anu4.€0 (e,n)
'harness' is a noun in singular and nominative case. "anut" 'dogs' traces' anu4.#°t0 (f,) is a plural
noun; the place for case is empty, meaning n(ominative)
or g(enitive); words with this inflexion have the
same form in these two cases.
In addition to nominative and
genitive there are six so-called local cases; they can often be translated by a
preposition, but instrumental (nik) is also the case
of an Object which has been suppressed by the 'half-transitive' affix .(T)ivoq etc.
"anut" is most often plural (f,) and means
'(dogs') traces'. But it may also be (e,2e,n) 'your
(dog's) trace':
1
Analysis : anu/t = anoq4.#°t0
(f,)
<anoq4 navnestamme E noun
stem> OseP: (i9;97) {anu}
€anoraa , €anorivaa
<.#°t0 flertal E plural>
Analysis (2): anu/t = anu4.#°t0
(e,2e,n)
<anu4 navnestamme E noun
stem> OseP: (i9;96 1) {PE 33:5 anu}
>anu (/S >anut ) .
sele (til et trækdyr) E harness, dogs'
traces *
<.#°t0 ental,
Ejer = 2. person ental, nominativ E singular,
Possessor = 2nd person singular, nominative>
More (double click / tap) : K O p g 0 2 4 5
Selection of 4 or 5 will reveal that
the stem anoq4 is anu4 plus .q4 ; this affix is added
to noun stems that end in a vowel, and it indicates countability.
Cf. the analyses of "ordbogeeraq" in [Guide]Analysis with Danish.
In "anut"
anu4.#°t0 (e,2e,n) 'your dog's trace' the referee
('trace') is singular, and it has a Possessor who is 2nd person singular ('your
_'). So nouns can also have two values of (person_and_)number. Take a word like "anuinut"
'to its/their traces' (f,3i,nut):
anuinut, a=nu=i=nut (2 2 2 3)
Analysis : anu/i/n/ut =
anu4.i3.nut0 (f,3i,nut)
<anu4 navnestamme E noun
stem> OseP: (i9;96 1) {PE 33:5 anu}
>anu (/S >anut ) .
sele (til et trækdyr) E harness, dogs'
traces *
<.i3 flertal, Ejer = (ikke refleksiv) 3.
person E plural, Possessor = (not reflexive)
3rd person>
<.n3 lokalkasus
E local case>
<.ut0 allativ (nut-fald) 'til/mod ..' E allative>
More (double
click / tap) :
p 1 4 13
The analysis is in fact anu/i/n/ut = anu4.i3.n3.ut0 , with a morpheme (3).n3 that is
common to four of the six local cases.
The values of person_and_number
are indicated by the first part (4).i3 of the complex noun inflexion. In the
example they are plural, Possessor = (not reflexive) 3rd person (singular or
plural). With a reflexive Possessor we have:
"anuminut" = anu4.#-mi3.nut0 (f,3re,nut) 'to its
own traces', "anuminnut" = anu4.#-mik3.nut0
(f,3rf,nut) 'to their own traces'.
(Same forms in the singular when the
stem ends in a vowel or in a q deleted by gemination
[#].) Reflexive is used when the Possessor and the Subject of the main verb (or
equivalent) is/are the same (dog/dogs in this case). Or more
generally, when the Actor behind the person_and_number
in question includes the Subject/Agent of the main verb or equivalent.
"anuinut" through [analysis -] and choice of
"p" gives a (negative) example:
OseP: (i96;85 2) * _qitorngartoqqut, t _qitorngartoqqutip,
_qitorngartoqqutit: =allunaaq
=qimmit =anuinut =tulliusoq =peersaatilik
More (double click / tap) : 0 1 4 13
"qitorngartoqqut" is explained here as a thong
("allunaaq") with a bone knob ("peersaatilik") which is [fixed in a toggle] next
("tulliusoq") to the dogs' traces ("qimmit anuinut"). The dogs
are Possessor of their traces, but the Subject of the verb is the thong. "anuinut" (f,3i,nut) 'to their
traces' therefore has a Possessor person_and_number
(= 3i) which agrees with not (i.e. Danish: i[kke]) reflexive.
In [Grammar]Examples
the noun stem nuna4 and the verbal stem aki2 are shown with all inflexions. You
may double click on a word in the paradigm and give it in through [analysis -];
then select "0" or a higher digit and see the general form of the
inflexion. Or you may give the right part of the word through [right part /]
and then [analysis -]. But you must segment the word correctly - not inside a
morpheme or inside a complex inflexion.
The demonstrative stem av6 and the
pronominal stem tamaq7 are also shown with all inflexions in [Grammar]Examples. Greenlandic has also a few pronominal stems with
a fixed value of person and less regular inflexion. Directional stems like aT8
(e.g. in "ammut" 'downwards', "ataani" 'under it', "apparpoq"
'moves downwards') are used with a subset of the noun inflexions and with a few
of the affixes.
Greenlandic interjections, adverbs
and conjunctions have no value of mood or case or (person_and_)number: (). A few are appended to other words, e.g. the
conjunction .lu 'and, also': "anuinullu" anu/i/n/ul/lu = anu4.i3.n3.ut0.lu0 (f,3i,nut) [=lu] 'and to their dogs' traces'. .lu
functions in the sentence as a conjunction, and this is communicated to the
sentence analysis with a "=lu"
in the square brackets. (But my programme for sentence analysis is not included
here.)
Greenlandic has also a few affixes
which are added after an inflexion for local case and form a verbal stem. In Frederik Nielsen's translation of H.C. Andersen's fairy
tale "The emperor's new dress" it is said: "kaasari
atsisaasivimminiippoq" 'the emperor is in his
wardrobe':
atisaasivimminiippoq, a=ti=saa=si=vim=mi=niip=poq
(2 2 4 2 3 2 5 3)
Analysis : atisa/asivim/mi/n/i/ip/poq/
=
atisaq4.uT4.Livik4.#mi3.ni0
(e,3re,ni) ...
<atisaq4 navnestamme E noun
stem> OseP: (i14;190 1) {ativaa;
[PE 55:1 ate-]} >atisaq
. klædningsstykke E piece of apparel
|
<.uT4.Livik4 udvider navnestamme E expands
a noun stem>
.usivik = .ut plus .Livik
<.#mi3 ental, Ejer = (refleksiv) 3. person
ental E singular, Possessor
= (reflexive) 3rd person singular>
<.n3 lokalkasus
E local case>
<.i0 lokativ (ni-fald) 'i/på/ved _' E locative>
Analysis
: ... =
.it2.Poq1.€0 (indi,3e) atisaasivimmini+ippoq
<.it2 føjes til ord,
danner verbalstamme E is added to a word, forms a verbal stem> 'er ..' .ippoq
<.Poq1 indikativ (fremsættemåde) E indicative>
<.€0 3. person
ental E 3rd person singular>
More (double click / tap) : 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
"ati/saq"
'piece of apparel' is something (.Taq) that you put
on ("ativaa"). "atisa/as/i/vik"
'wardrobe' is a place (.Fvik) where you have (made)
(.Livoq) a store of owned (.ut)
clothes: atisaq4.uT4.Li2.Fvik.
The word "atisaasivimminiippoq"
is used in sentences in the same way that the two words "atisaasivimmini" (e,3re,ni)
'in his wardrobe' and "ippoq" (indi,3e)
'he/she/it is ..' would be. The inflexion for Possessor agrees with reflexive
because it refers to the emperor, who is Subject of the verb.
Compounding is rare in Greenlandic. An
example is "siniffik-pooq" 'bed-bag =
sleeping bag', compare Danish "sovepose".
siniffik-pooq, si=nif=fik-pooq
(2 3 3 5)
Osep: (i108;99 2)
>siniffik-pooq O sovepose
|
More (double click / tap) : 0 7 14
0 : enkleste analyse(r) E simplest analysis/analyses
Analyse / Analysis : siniffik/-/pooq/ =
siniffik4.-9.pooq4.€0 (e,n)
<siniffik4 navnestamme E noun
stem> OseP: (i108;99 1) {sinippoq;
PI 87:10 cinegvik} >siniffik
. seng E bed, bedstead |
<.-9 forbinder, af endelsen for (e,n) E connector, from the inflexion for singular, nominative>
<pooq4 navnestamme E noun
stem> OseP: (i81;216 1) {PI 294:9 pu(g)uq} >pooq
. sæk, hylster; indpakning E bag, case, sheath |
<.€0 ental,
nominativ E singular, nominative>
More (double click / tap) : O 7 14
The noun stems sinif/fik4 'bed' and
pooq4 'bag' are combined into a stem siniffik-pooq4 'sleeping bag' which here
has the inflexion (4).€0 (e,n) [singular,
nominative]. The two stems are connected by (4).-9 ,
whose origin is the same noun inflexion. "siniffik" 'a bed' can be analyzed as 'a place
where (.Fvik) you sleep ("sinippoq")'.
Greenlandic has the prefixes aa9 and
taC9; they are added to the 12 demonstrative stems only, and in a more or less
irregular way. Therefore I have entered
the demonstratives in the stem dictionary (OsP) both
without and with aa9 and taC9: u6, aaju6 and aa6 (=u/na,
=aaju/na and =aa/na), kan6
and takan6 (=kan/na, =kan/ani
and =takan/ani), pav6 and tappav6 (=pan/na, =pav/ani and =tappav/ani), etc. taC9 refers to something previously
mentioned, or it calls for attention like aa9 (prefix), aa0 (particle) and (0).aa (affix particle, enclitic).
The programme will analyze the given
word in a stem chain from the left end and in a suffix chain from the right
end. The last morpheme in a valid stem chain is a stem; it has 9 on its left
and < 9 on its right. Suffix chains contain no morpheme with 9 on its left
or right. An analysis consists of a valid stem chain and a fitting suffix
chain.
Greenlandic has many inflexions, and
a Greenlandic stem may be expanded again and again with an affix. The suffix
chain in a Greenlandic word is therefore often long. In Danish it is the stem
chain that may be comparatively long. Greenlandic stem chains rarely contain more
than one stem, and never more than two.
All the inflexions, or their first
part, can be seen as "stems" in the file i156. The derivatives are
shown as "stems" in files i139 to i155. The general form starts with
a ".", and below come one or more surface forms starting with a
"/". The inflexions and affixes (as "stems") are shown in
alphabetical order in the first files o (o1 to o11). The index file o0 is a
survey; line no. N in this file is the beginning of the first line in the file oN.
749 of the affixes in the files i are marked with an "A" (for Affix) and a
tentative translation, based on the dictionaries and their examples. You can
see them in [Grammar]Affixes with a gloss I and II. A
"B" (after "A" or alone) means that Oqaatsit
gives at least one example of the affix.
According to the preface in the
third edition (1997) of Oqaatsit, this dictionary
contains 718 affixes. But some of them are easily recognizable side forms like
(4).givaa = (4).gaa and
(2).givaa = (2).gaa. And
many are combinatorial variants like [two] -givaa = -gaa and -rivaa = -raa (after q). (q + initial .g -> r as explained in
[Grammar]Sounds and orthography.) The two affixes (4).gaa and (2).gaa therefore occur
as 2*2*2 = 8 'affixes' in Oqaatsit. If I look away
from easily recognizable side forms and combinatorial variants, I reach a
number of different affixes in Oqaatsit (1997)
slightly below
Lise Lennert Olsen and Gitte
Hertling (in "Grønlandsk
tilhængsliste" 1988) list 432 affixes and 13
affix particles. The second edition (2011) gives additional 5 and some more
examples. Most of these affixes are productive. I have cited nearly 200 of the
examples as a supplement to the dictionaries.
You may give the right part of a
word (such as "gaa" or "givaa", "raa" or
"rivaa") through the push-button [right
part /] and see my notation (".gaa" or
".givaa"), which is the entry form in GroenOrd. This notation is explained in [Grammar]Sounds and orthograpy and in
[Grammar]Concatenation of morphemes.