Appendix:Greenlandic declension

This appendix is incomplete.

Declension of Greenlandic nouns are notoriously complex due to many morphophonological processes. These processes can be explained by Proto-Eskimoic archiphonemes, according to An Introduction to West Greenlandic (version 2.3) by Stian Lubeck from 2022.

However, for simplicity, Finnish-like nominal types would be used here.

Endings

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The following are the standard case endings, accounting to syncretism:

Case Singular Plural
Absolutive -∅ -t
Ergative -p
Instrumental -mik -nik
Allative -mut -nut
Ablative -mit -nit
Locative -mi -ni
Prolative -kkut -tigut
Equative -tut

Possessives

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In many cases, singular and plurals are indistinguishable (or syncretized). The equative case only distinguishes number in the 3rd person possessives.

First-person singular (1sg) possessive
Case Singular Plural
Absolutive -ga -kka
Ergative -ma
Instrumental -nnik
Allative -nnut
Ablative -nnit
Locative -nni
Prolative -kkut
Equative -ttut
Second person singular (2sg) possessive
Case Singular Plural
Absolutive -t -tit
Ergative -vit
Instrumental -nnik
Allative -nnut
Ablative -nnit
Locative -nni
Prolative -kkut
Equative -ttut
Third person singular (3sg) possessive
Case Singular Plural
Absolutive -a -i
Ergative -ata -isa
Instrumental -anik -inik
Allative -anut -inut
Ablative -anit -init
Locative -ani -ini
Prolative -agut -isigut
Equative -atut -isut
Fourth person singular (4sg) possessive
Case Singular Plural
Absolutive -ni
Ergative -mi
Instrumental -minik
Allative -minut
Ablative -minit
Locative -mini
Prolative -migut
Equative -misut

Types

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Singular Plural Notes
Absolutive Ergative Instrumental 3sg Absolutive Instrumental 3pl
sila silap silamik silaa silat silanik silaat Ending in -a or *-ə-i.
illu illup illumik illua illut illunik illui Ending in -i or -u.
angut angutip angummik, angutimik angutaa angutit angutinik angutaat Ending in -t.
aallaat aallaasip aallaammik aallaasaa aallaasit aallaasinik aallaasaat Same as type angut, but with assibilation.