Grammar » 39 » Comparing People and Things
Qualities and characteristics of people and things can be compared by using the roots of the describing words followed by the endings -niqsaq- (it is more... than) or -niqpaaq- / -laaq- (it is the most...):
| takijuq |
It is tall; the tall one |
| takiniqsaq |
It is taller; the taller one |
| takiniqpaaq /takilaaq |
the tallest one |
| |
|
| angijuq |
It is big; the big one |
| anginiqsaq |
It is bigger; the bigger one |
| anginiqpaaq / angilaaq |
the biggest one |
When
-niqsaq and
-niqpaaq are added to a stem ending in
-t, it changes the final
t to
n;
-laaq deletes the preceeding consonant sound:
| naittuq |
It is short; the short one |
| nainniqsaq |
It is shorter; the shorter one |
| nainniqpaaq |
the shortest one |
| nailaaq |
the shortest one |
When talking about
you,
me or
we, the endings above are followed by
-u- / -ngu- (
to be) and then a verb ending:
| taki + niqsaq + u + va? |
|
| takiniqsauva? |
Is he/she/it taller? |
| |
|
| taki + laaq + ngu + jutit = |
|
| takilaangujutit |
You are the tallest. |
To make a comparison, we then tack on the affix
-mit / -nit to the person or thing to which a comparison is being made:
| Ilisapimit takiniqsaujunga. |
I am taller than Ilisapi. |
| Amaruq qimmirmit anginiqsaq. |
The wolf is bigger than the dog. |
Keep in mind that when using personal pronouns to make comparisons, they don't follow a regular pattern:
| uvanga |
me |
| uvannit |
than me |
| Uvannit takiniqsaujutit. |
You are taller than me. |
| |
|
| ivvit |
you |
| ilinnit |
than you |
| Kinali ilinnit takiniqsauva? |
And who is taller than you? |
| |
|
| ilitsik |
you (2) |
| ilitsinnit |
than the two of you |
| Ilitsinnit nainniqsaujunga. |
I am shorter than the two of you. |
| |
|
| ilitsi |
you (3+) |
| ilitsinnit |
than you (3+) |