tassaavoq

Greenlandic

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “from tassa?”)

Pronunciation

• (Nuuk) IPA^(key): /tassaavuq/, [təs.səːvɔq]

Verb

tassaavoq

1. (intransitive) be (copula)
   • 1992, Erik Münster (quoting anonymous), "Kinguaassiuutikkut nappaataava", Atuagagdliutit

     Siggunni seerisut tassaapput herpes taakkulu qallunaatut taaguutit nuannarineqartut "forkølelses- imlt. kyssesår" atorneqarput, kiinami tinupasunut seerisunut, pingaartumik siggunni.

     ["Leakings/leakers"? (seerivoq + -toq)] on the mouth are herpes, and the Danish popular [probably a mistranslation of populær, which also means "widely used"] terms "forkølelses- or kyssesår" are used about leaking lumps in the face, especially on the mouth.

   • 2002, Stephen Hammeken, Harry Potter Ujarallu Inuunartoq, Nuuk: Atuakkiorfik, translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling, →ISBN, page 4:

     Aappariit tassaapput eqqumiitsunut paasissaalluanngitsunullu akuliunnissamut kingullerpaajullutik pasillerneqarsinnaasut. Inooriaatsip nalinginnaasup saniatigut iliuuseqarnissaq akuerisinnaanngilluinnarpaat.

     They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.

Synonyms

• -u