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Alutiiq speakers add suffixes to nouns in order to
add or change meanings and create new words. A student of Alutiiq can
learn how to add suffixes to a noun by memorizing a few rules. To add
a suffix to a noun or verb you must be able to first strip it to its stem.
A stem is the basic unit of a word, but it is not a word on its own. It
can only be paired with one or a number of suffixes to create a word.
Suffixes will be added to the end of a word stem similar to the way "dog"
becomes "dogs" in English - only it is a little more complicated.
Before we discuss suffixes, we will discuss how to
find the noun stem. Most noun stems follow a predictable pattern:
| If... |
Then... |
For Example... |
| The noun ends in q |
drop the q and add an r |
arwaq (whale) stem: arwar |
| The noun ends in k |
drop the k and add a g |
iqalluk (salmon) stem: iqallug |
| The noun ends in an n |
No strict formula, but it will have a
stem that ends in te |
igarsuun (piece of chalk)
stem:
igarsuute |
| The noun ends in ta |
drop the a and add e |
piugta (dog) stem: piugte |
| Any other consonant plus a |
There is no regular pattern. But these
nouns are rare, so they can be remembered individually |
nuna (land) stem: nuna
neqa (food) stem: neqe |
Now that you know how to find
a noun's stem, you can begin adding suffixes.
Or, you can learn how to find verb stems.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 26 March 2007 )
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Alutiiq Language 
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