Abstract
Nonsymmetric Askey-Wilson polynomials are usually written as Laurent polynomials. We write them equivalently as 2-vector-valued symmetric Laurent polynomials. Then the Dunkl-Cherednik operator of which they are eigenfunctions, is represented as a 2 × 2 matrix-valued operator. As a new result made possible by this approach we obtain positive definiteness of the inner product in the orthogonality relations, under certain constraints on the parameters. A limit transition to nonsymmetric little q-Jacobi polynomials also becomes possible in this way. Nonsymmetric Jacobi polynomials are considered as limits both of the Askey-Wilson and of the little q-Jacobi case.