This grammar note is available in the South Qikiqtaaluk dialect only.
There are ways of expressing two or even three levels of relationships within the same sentence, i.e. when the possessor has its own possessor:
anaana + ga = | anaanaga |
my mother | |
anaana + ma = | anaanama aninga |
my mother's brother |
The -ma ending relates the word anaana back to me, but it also relates her to another person, in this case, her brother. The word that describes the second level of relationship (her brother) takes the ending -nga.
The same endings can be used to describe objects that are owned by that person, except that we add -ngata to the person or thing that is in the middle of this double possession relationship:
Simiuniup nunasiutinga | Simiuniup nunasiutingata kiinga |
Simon's car | Simon's car key / the key to Simon's car |
The plural form of the –ngata ending highlighted above is –ngita:
anaanama nukangit | anaanama nukangita ulungit |
my mother's younger sisters | the ulus of my younger mother's sisters |
The following table sets out all the possible variations of this type of ending:
ending that follows a vowel | ending that follows a consonant | |
-ma | anaanama aninga | nukarma umianga |
my mother's brother | my younger sibling's boat | |
-vit | anaanavit aninga | nukaqpit umianga |
your (1) mother's brother | your (1) younger sibling's boat | |
-ngata | anaanangata aninga | nukangata umianga |
his/her mother's brother | the boat of his/her younger sibling | |
-tta | anaanatta aninga | nukatta umianga |
the brother of our (2) mother | the boat of our (2) younger sibling | |
-ssik | anaanassik aninga | nukassik umianga |
the brother of your (2) mother | the boat of your (2) younger sibling | |
-ngatta | anaanangatta aninga | nukangatta umianga |
the brother of their (2) mother | the boat of their (1) younger sibling | |
-tta | anaanatta aninga | nukatta umianga |
the brother of your (3+) mother | the boat of our (3+) younger sibling | |
-ssi | anaanassi aninga | nukassi umianga |
the brother of your (3+) mother | the boat of your (3+) younger sibling | |
-ngata | anaanangata aninga | nukangata umianga |
the brother of their (3+) mother | the boat of their (3+) younger sibling | |
-ngita | anaanangita aninga | nukangita umianga |
the brothers of their (3+) mother | the boats of their (3+) younger sibling |