Negation (-nngit-) — Greenlandic Grammar

"Not" is a suffix inside the verb: -nngi-, in some forms -nngit-. It comes after suffixes such as "can", "must" and "will", and removes the last consonant of what comes before it. After it come endings of its own, which differ from the ordinary ones.

Statements

"I … not": -nngilanga
"you … not": -nngilatit
"he, she, it … not": -nngilaq
"we … not": -nngilugut
"you … not" (several people): -nngilasi
"they … not": -nngillat

With an object, -nngilara is "I … not … it" and -nngilakkit "I … not … you".

Aliasunngilanga.
I am not sad.
Isumassarsiaq pitsaanngilaq.
The idea is not good.
Takunngilara, susoqarami?
I didn't see it. What happened? (-nngilara "I … not … it")
Utoqqatserpunga paasinngilakkit.
Sorry, I didn't understand. (-nngilakkit: lit. I didn't understand you)

Questions and Commands

A question has negative question endings, such as -nngiliuk? "don't you … it?". "Don't!" is -nak to one person and -nasi to several.

Oqaaseqatigiiliorfiup sunartaa paasinngiliuk?
Which part of the sentence don't you understand?
Eqiasunnak!
Don't be lazy!
Issiaannarnasi.
Don't just sit (pl.) there.

In Joined Verbs

The joined moods have negative forms too: "if you don't" -nngikkuit, "because I don't" -nnginnama. "Without …ing" is -nanga "I", -nani "he, she, it".

Tuaviunngikkuit timmisartut angumerissanngilat.
If you don't hurry, you will miss your flight.
Piffissaqannginnama.
Because I have no time.
Nerinanga innarpunga.
I went to bed without eating.

Words Built on "Not"

Some everyday words are negatives at heart. "is fine, is good" is "is not bad", from "is bad". "knows it" is "is not ignorant of it", from "doesn't know it".

Ajunngilanga, qujanaq.
I'm fine, thank you.
Frankrigi nalunngilara, siornatigut taakaniippunga.
Oh, I know France. I have been to France before.

Stronger Negatives

Some suffixes carry a more particular "not": -navianngit- "certainly not", and -junnaar- "no longer", which after a consonant can look like -kkunnaar-.

Nassaarnavianngilatit.
You won't find one.
Aspirinimik tunissavakkit niaqorlukkunnaarniassagavit.
I will give you an aspirin for your headache. (niaqorlup- "have a headache" + -kkunnaar- "no longer")

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Greenlandic course

70 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 19. A few of them, with the words “Negation (-nngit-)” is about in bold:

Qanoq ippit? Ajunngilatit?
How are you feeling? Good or bad?
Lesson 61
Pitsaaqaanga! Napparsimanngilanga. Peqqippunga.
I feel great! I am not sick. I am healthy.
Lesson 64
Ukiut arfineq sisamat takunngilakkit!
I haven't seen you for nine years!
Lesson 175

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