Little, Dear and Big: -araq, -nnguaq, -suaq — Greenlandic Grammar

Suffixes on a noun can make it smaller, dearer or bigger.

Little: -araq

-araq "little" makes a noun smaller. On a describing word it means "very, quite".

Meeraaqqap qingaa assut inequnarpoq.
That baby has a cute nose. (meeraq "child" + -araq: a little child)
Biilii mikisuaraapput.
She drives a very small car. (mikisoq "small one" + -araq)
Paarisinnaavara. Oqittuaraavoq.
I can carry it. It is very light. (oqittoq "light one" + -araq + -u- "be")

Dear: -nnguaq

-nnguaq "dear, little" shows affection. It is used in greetings and letters.

Ullaannguaq Anna, qanutut ikiorsinnaavakkit?
Good morning Anna. What can I do for you? (ullaaq "morning" + -nnguaq)
Mrs. Smithinnguaq,
Dear Mrs. Smith,

Big: -suaq

-suaq "big" follows the usual joining rules: after k it is -ssuaq, and a final q becomes r: "dog" gives "big dog".

Pisiniarfissuarmukarpunga.
I went to the shopping mall. (pisiniarfik "shop" + -ssuaq: lit. big shop)
Pisiniarfissualiartariaqarpunga.
I need to go to the supermarket.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Greenlandic course

10 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 108. A few of them, with the words “Little, Dear and Big: -araq, -nnguaq, -suaq” is about in bold:

Biilii sukkaallutillu akikitsuaraapput.
She has a slow, cheap car.
Lesson 110
Pisiniarfissuarmukarpunga.
I went to the shopping mall.
Lesson 172
Meeraaqqap qingaa assut inequnarpoq.
That baby has a cute nose.
Lesson 389

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