In an earlier lesson we looked at double person endings:
| takujara | I see him. |
| takujagit | I see you. |
| takujanga | She sees him. |
Because these endings indicate two people (a subject and an object) they are often used to describe the relationship between two people.
To do so, we use the verb -gi-, meaning to have. Unlike –qaq-, which also means to have, -gi- is always followed by a double person ending:
| panik | daughter |
| Ilisapi panigiviuk? |
Is Ilisapi your daughter (literally, do you have Ilisapi as a daughter?) |
| ii, paniga* | Yes, she is my daughter |
* Note that this is how a fluent speaker would answer the question. Although panigijara is grammatically correct, it sounds awkward.
When -gi- is added to a stem, ending in q, it switches to -ri-:
| nuliaq | wife |
| Uluusi nuliariviuk? |
Is Uluusi your wife? (literally, Do you have Uluusi as your wife?). |
| Aagga, Miali nuliara.* | No Mary is my wife. |
*As with the first example, nuliarijara is gramatically correct, but less likely to be used in conversation.
One more example:
| angijuqqaaq |
head of an organization; boss |
| Inna angijuqqaarivauk? |
Is that his boss? |
| ii angijuqqaanga | Yes, she's his boss. |