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 -laaq- (it is the most...):
takijuq |
It is tall; the tall one |
takiniqsaq |
It is taller; the taller one |
takilaaq |
the tallest one |
|
|
angijuq |
It is big; the big one |
anginiqsaq |
It is bigger; the bigger one |
angilaaq |
the biggest one |
When
-niqsaq is 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 |
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 |
ilingnit |
than you |
Kinali ilingnit takiniqsauva? |
And who is taller than you? |
|
|
ilissik |
you (2) |
ilissingnit |
than the two of you |
Ilissingnit nainniqsaujunga. |
I am shorter than the two of you. |
|
|
ilissi |
you (3+) |
ilissinnit |
than you (3+) |