-miip-: Be In, Be At — Greenlandic Grammar

"Is in, is at" is the locative ending with -ip- "be" after it: -miip-. After a plural place, after -a "its" and after place words it is -niip-: "is on top of it", "is over there". The place and "be" become one word: "he is in Nuuk".

Atuarfimmiippoq.
She's at school. (atuarfik + -miip-)
Nillataartitsivimmiipput.
It's in the fridge. (-pput "they": the food, nerisassat, is plural)
Tuniniaavimmiippunga, ulapeqaaq.
I am at the market. It is very busy.

In My Car, In Your Place

With "my" or "your", the locative is -nni, and "be" follows it: -nniip-.

Biilinniippunga, biilerama. Nipitunerusumik oqalulaarit.
I am in my car, driving. Speak up, please. (biili + -nni "in my" + -ip-)

Where Are You?

Massakkorpiaq sumiippit?
Where are you right now? (sumi "where" + -ip-)

With Other Suffixes

The p of -ip- behaves like any final consonant: it becomes t before -toq, as in "what is in the plastic bag".

Sunaana puuliamiittoq? Inuusaq nutaaq?
What's in the plastic bag? A new doll?
Inuusuttuaraallunga Kinamiinnikuuvunga.
When I was young, I lived in China. (Kina + -miip- + -nikuu-)

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Greenlandic course

17 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 22. A few of them, with the words “-miip-: Be In, Be At” is about in bold:

Frankrigi nalunngilara, siornatigut taakaniippunga.
Oh, I know France. I have been to France before.
Lesson 208
Naammi panipput? - Atuarfimmiippoq.
Where is our daughter? - She's at school.
Lesson 242
Tuniniaavimmiippunga, ulapeqaaq.
I am at the market. It is very busy.
Lesson 249

Comments

Loading comments…