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:
| takinniqsaujutit |
You are the tallest. |
| angilaangujunga |
I am the biggest. |
To make a comparison, we then tack on the affix
-mit 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 |
the two of you |
| ilitsinnit |
than the two of you |
| Ilitsinnit nainniqsaujuguk. |
We two are shorter than the two of you. |