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    -ernôch
    quickinfo

    The suffix -ernôch is a productive suffix that derives adverbs or predicatively used adjectives from other adverbs or adjectives. An example is goed good > goedernôch good enough. The suffix is grammaticalized from the word genôch enough, from which it also inherited its syntactic and semantic properties. In addition, the suffix developed into a general marker of adverbiality.

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    [+]General properties

    The suffix -ernôch is a grammaticalization of Old Frisian enōg enough. In most cases, its meaning contribution is still related to its historical origin. This is basically "enough of {adverb/adjective}".

    Table 1
    Base form Derivation
    fatsoenlik decent fatsoenlikernôch decent enough
    heech high hegernôch high enough
    moai beautiful moaiernôch beautiful enough
    grien green grien(d)ernôch green enough
    lokkich happy lokkigernôch happily enough

    However, this element of sufficiency can also easily turn into a negative appreciation, especially with bases that already denote a concept that one should avoid. In that case, the meaning extends to "more than enough, too much of {adverb/adjective}". Examples are given in the table below:

    Table 2
    Base form Derivation
    grut large grutternôch too large
    slim bad slimmernôch too bad
    mâl crazy mâl(d)ernôch too crazy
    meager skinny meagerdernôch too skinny
    raar weird raardernôch too weird
    stoef surly stoefernôch too surly

    Next to these senses that still have a relation with the original concept enough, also a usage developed in which the derivation is semantically empty to a large extent. The function of the suffix is then reduced to mark the adverbial status of the base. Some examples are provided in (1)-(5):

    1
    Earlikernôch moat men ynskikke dat ....
    honest-SUFF must one admit that ....
    Honestly, one should admit that ....
    2
    Hy wie dúdlikernôch siik
    he was clear-SUFF ill
    He was clearly ill
    3
    Wy ha begryplikernôch holpen
    we have understable-SUFF helped
    Understandably, we offered help
    4
    Aparternôch wie it finster iepen
    Strange-SUFF was the window open
    Strange to say, the window was open
    5
    Opfallendernôch hiene se deselde flaters makke
    striking-SUFF had they the.same mistakes made
    Strikingly, they had made the same mistakes

    Finally, there are also a few derivations which meaning is more or less untransparent in relation to the base forms: lyk the same > likernôch almost, nei after > neiernôch as good as, almost and spitich pity > spitigernôch regrettably.

    [+]Phonological properties

    Obligatorily after stems ending in /r/, and optionally after stems with final /l/ and /n/, we see the insertion of /d/. This is in line with a general rule of d-insertion before the sequence /ər/. Examples are raardernôch nicely enough, fûl(d)ernôch fanatically enough and finernôch/fyndernôch fine enough.

    [+]Syntactic properties

    If derived from adverbs, the formations have the same distribution as the base. An example is fakernôch often enough, from the adverb faak often. Derived adjectives can only be used predicatively. Thus one can say

    6
    Dat famke is my meagerdernôch
    That girl is me skinny-SUFF
    In my opinion, that girl is too skinny

    However, the attributive construction *dat meagerdernôge famke that skinny-SUFF-INFL that too skinny girl is impossible. This is in accordance with the syntactic possibilities of the word genôch enough itself, which likewise cannot be used in an attributive position.

    [+]Use

    The use of this suffix is mainly restricted to the written language, and even then only in an elevated style. The more common formulation is with the full word genôch enough itself.

    extra
    Literature

    The main source for this topic is the lemma about this subject in WFT (Wurdboek Fryske Taal): Veen (1984-2011). The meaning aspect more than enough, too much was already noted in Dykstra (1933:23). For historical aspects, see Versloot (2003).

    References
    • Dykstra, J.K1933In Fryske lesDe Weitsrop122-24
    • Veen, Klaas F. van der et al1984-2011Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal - Woordenboek der Friese taalFryske Akademy
    • Versloot, Arjen P2003GrutternôchFriesch Datgblad2-8-2003unknown
    About this article
    Author(s): Siebren Dyk, Joke Weening
    Category: Frisian Morphology
    Keywords: suffixadverbgrammaticalizationelevated style
    Version: 1.0, March 2016
    Version history:
    version editor(s) date remarks
    1.0 Siebren Dyk, Joke Weening March 2016
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