The Suffix -Kan in Oroqen

The Tungusic language Oroqen has a number of qualitative suffixes used to express intensification, augmentation, approximation, diminution, and the like. Many of these suffixes have been previously identified, though the descriptions of their meanings are incomplete and are often in conflict. In this paper, we provide an overview of these suffixes which includes a more thorough description of their meaning and use. We then examine one of the suffixes, -Jean, in more detail. The suffix has been identified both as a diminutive and as an intensifier. We offer a model of the semantic range of -kan (based on Jurafsky 1996) which accounts for the apparent conflict in its meanings.