Word Structure: Stems, Suffixes and Endings

01

Finding the Stem

A verb is listed in the dictionary with the ending -voq or -poq, "he, she, it": nerivoq "he or she eats" stands for "to eat". Take that ending away and the stem is left, neri-, ready for any other ending.

• Angut nerivoq.

  The man is eating. (neri- + -voq "he")

• Massakkut nerivunga.

  I am eating now. (neri- + -vunga "I")

02

Four Kinds of Suffix

A noun is listed without an ending, and suffixes attach to it directly. Each suffix attaches to a noun or to a verb, and makes either a noun or a verb:

• noun to verb: kaffi "coffee" + -sor- "drink" gives kaffisorpoq "drinks coffee"
• noun to noun: illu "house" + -taaq "new" gives illutaaq "new house"
• verb to noun: atuarpoq "reads" + -fik "place" gives atuarfik "school"
• verb to verb: sulivoq "works" + -ler- "begin" gives sulilerpoq "begins to work"

• Kaagiliorusuppunga.

  I want to bake a cake. (kaagi "cake", -lio- "make", -rusup- "want to", -punga "I")

• Takuuk, illutaara.

  Look, this is my new house.

03

The Order of the Parts

The stem comes first and the ending last. Among the suffixes, "not" follows suffixes such as "can" and "must". After the ending only a small attached word can follow, such as -lu "and".

• Takusinnaanngilakkit.

  I can't see you. (taku- "see", -sinnaa- "can", -nngi- "not", -lakkit "I … you")

• Qimmiuteqarpunga qitsuuteqarlungalu.

  I have a dog and a cat. (the ending -lunga "I", then -lu "and")

04

Two Ways of Joining

Suffixes join in one of two ways. Some keep the last consonant of what comes before them, though it may change to fit. Others remove it, and then an e or o left at the end turns into i or u. -sinnaa- "can" keeps it and -innar- "just" removes it: the stem iser- "go in" keeps its r before -sinnaa-, but before -innar- the r goes and ise- becomes isi-.

• Isersinnaanngilatit.

  You may not enter. (iser- + -sinnaa-)

• Aap, isiinnarit.

  Yes, please come in. (isi- + -innar-)