1st Edition
West Greenlandic An Essential Grammar
This grammar provides a clear and comprehensive overview of contemporary West Greenlandic. It follows a systematic order of topics beginning with the alphabet and phonology, continuing with nominal and verbal morphology and syntax, and concluding with more advanced topics such as complex sentences and word formation. Grammatical points are illustrated with authentic examples reflecting current life in Greenland. Grammatical terminology is explained fully for the benefit of readers without a background in linguistics.
Features include:
- Full grammatical breakdowns of all examples for ease of identifying individual components of complex words.
- A detailed contents list and index for easy access to information.
- An alphabetical list of the most commonly used West Greenlandic suffixes.
- A glossary of grammatical abbreviations used in the volume.
The book is suitable for a wide range of users, including independent and classroom-based learners of West Greenlandic, as well as linguists and anyone with an interest in Greenland’s official language.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
1. Introduction
1.1. Greenlandic within the Eskimo-Aleut language family
1.2. Greenlandic language varieties
1.3. Historical and sociolinguistic introduction to West Greenlandic
1.3.1. Early history of Greenlandic
1.3.2. History of written West Greenlandic
1.3.3. Contemporary West Greenlandic
1.3.4. Aspects of Greenlandic culture
1.4. Characteristic features of West Greenlandic
1.5. How to use this grammar
1.5.1. Overall approach
1.5.2. Dictionary forms of words
1.5.3. Additive and truncative suffixes
1.5.4. Examples of grammatical points
1.5.5. Glossing
2. Phonology and orthography
2.1. The alphabet
2.2. Vowels
2.3. Consonants
2.4. Syllables, stress, and intonation
2.5. Morphophonological variation
2.5.1. Consonant changes
2.5.2. Vowel changes
2.5.3. Helping vowel ‑i‑
2.5.4 Loss of glides (j and v)
2.5.5 Stem types
2.5.6. Sound alternation in the beginning of suffixes
2.6. Kleinschmidt’s orthography
3. Nouns
3.1. Case and number
3.2. Noun stem types
3.3. Function of cases
3.4. Possessive inflection
3.4.1. Possessive absolutive
3.4.2. Possessive relative
3.4.3. Possessive allative
3.4.4. Possessive locative
3.4.5. Possessive ablative
3.4.6. Possessive instrumental
3.4.7. Possessive prolative
3.4.8. Possessive equative
3.5. Collective suffixes
4. Pronouns
4.1. Personal
4.2. Demonstrative
4.3. Interrogative
4.4. Reflexive
4.5. Reciprocal
4.6. Other
5. Numerals
5.1. Cardinal
5.2. Ordinal
6. Noun modification (= adjectives)
6.1. Attributive modifiers
6.2. Predicative modifiers
6.3. Comparison
6.3.1. Comparative
6.3.2. Superlative
7. Verbs
7.1. Person and number
7.1.1. Subject suffixes
7.1.2. Object suffixes
7.2. Mood
7.2.1. Independent/main moods
7.2.2. Subordinate moods
7.3. Tense
7.3.1. Present tense
7.3.2. Past tense
7.3.3. Future tense
7.4 Aspect
7.4.1. Completed
7.4.2. Habitual
7.4.3. Inchoative
7.5. Modality
7.6. Evidentiality
7.7. Causativity
7.8. Reflexivity and reciprocity
7.8.1. Reflexivity
7.8.2. Reciprocity
7.9. Passivity
7.10. Valency
7.11. Negation
7.11.1. Basic negative suffixes
7.11.2. Negative suffixes with more specific meanings
7.11.3. Negative intransitive participle
7.11.4. Negative indefinite pronouns and adverbs
7.11.5. Periphrastic negative constructions
8. Participles
8.1. Intransitive participle
8.2. Passive participle
8.3. Abstract participle
9. Adverbs
9.1. Manner
9.2. Time
9.3. Place and direction
9.4. Degree, measure, and quantity
9.5. Modal
9.6. Interrogative
10. Postpositions
10.1. Place and direction
10.2. Time
10.3. Other
11. Conjunctions
11.1. Coordinating
11.2. Subordinating
12. Particles
12.1. Discourse particles and interjections
12.2. Enclitic particles
13. Suffixes
13.1. Suffix types
13.2. Order of suffixes
14. Phrases, clauses, and sentences
14.1. Basic word order
14.2. Incorporation
14.2.1. Incorporated predicative
14.2.2. Incorporated direct object
14.2.3. Incorporated noun in oblique cases
14.3. Definiteness
14.4. Clause types
14.4.1. Copular
14.4.2. Intransitive
14.4.3. Transitive
14.4.4. Half-transitive
14.4.5. Double transitive
14.4.6. Existential
14.4.7. Possessive
14.4.8. Impersonal
14.4.9. Interrogative
14.5. Complex sentences
14.5.1. Adverbial
14.5.2. Relative
14.5.3. Complement
15. List of essential suffixes
Suggested resources
Index
Biography
Lily Kahn is Professor of Hebrew and Jewish Languages at University College London (UCL). Her research areas include endangered and minority languages, as well as translation studies. She is co-editor with Riitta-Liisa Valijärvi of two UCL Press book series, Grammars of World and Minority Languages and Textbooks of World and Minority Languages.
Riitta-Liisa Valijärvi is Associate Professor of Finnish and Minority Languages at UCL and Senior Lecturer in Finnish and Finno-Ugric Languages at Uppsala University, Sweden. Her research interests include endangered and minority languages, language pedagogy, and song lyrics. Relevant publications include Finnish Tutor (2017) and North Sámi: An Essential Grammar (with Lily Kahn; Routledge, 2017).
