Re: Another Thing From Straight Dope

> Date:         Sat, 17 Jun 2000 21:30:11 +0200
> From: daniel andreasson <daniel.andreasson@...>
> > Regarding the Inuit words -- almost all of them end in -k or -q, I noticed.
> > I assume this is a nominative (or absolutive?) marker.
> Or probably ergative rather than absolutive in that case (knowing
> nothing about the Inuit lang).
The quotation form of Inuit nouns (usually in -q) is the absolutive.
IIRC, The relative (ergative/genitive) form universally ends in -p and
the plural in -t. (This is without possessive agreement or non-core
case postfixes).

Intransitive verbs are usually quoted with a 3s absolutive agreement
suffix (-poq, -toq, -goq, ...), while transitive verbs are quoted with
3s for both arguments (-paa, -taa, -gaa, ...).

Lars Mathiesen (U of Copenhagen CS Dep) <thorinn@...> (Humour NOT marked)