20 Namunngaqqauviuk?

Dialogue: Plus petit et plus grand

Aami:
Angijukuluuk uvannit takiniqsaujutit. Angijukuluuk (mon grand frère), tu es plus grand que moi.
Saamiu:
Upinnarani takijuujunga ammalu naittuujutit. C’est normal, moi je suis grand, et toi tu es petit.
Aami:
Kinali ilinnit takiniqsauva? Mais alors, qui est plus grand que toi ?
Saamiu:
Viitani uvannit takiniqsaq.Viitani est plus grand que moi.
Aami:
Kinalu takilaanguva ilattinni? Alors, qui est le plus grand de la famille ?

Vocabulaire

uqaalaut
téléphone
ailiruk
Va le chercher! (impératif)

Grammar

décrire des personnes et des choses

L’inuktitut, comme le français, offre de nombreux termes pour la description de personnes ou de choses :

takijuq

grand/long

angijuq

grand

akitujuq

dispendieux

akikittuq

bon marché

 

En français, on les appelle les adjectifs. Leur terminaison diffère selon que le nom qu’ils décrivent est singulier ou pluriel, masculin ou féminin :

un grand édifice

des grands édifices

un édifice vert

une maison verte

 


En inuktitut, ces mots se comportent d’avantage comme des verbes. Tu pourras remarquer qu’ils finissent par la terminaison –juq au singulier. Cette terminaison change si tu décris un objet qui est au duel ou au pluriel :

Qarasaujaq akitujuq.

L’ordinateur est dispendieux.

Qarasaujaak akitujuuk.

Les deux ordinateurs sont dispendieux.

Qarasaujait akitujut.

Les ordinateurs sont dispendieux.

 

comparer des personnes et des choses

Pour comparer des personnes ou des objets en inuktitut, on peut utiliser deux affixes, -niqsaq (le comparatif) et –laaq (le superlatif) :

takijuq grand
takiniqsaq plus grand (que)
takilaaq le plus grand

 

Note que la terminaison de la forme de base de l’adjectif (–juq / -tuq) disparait, avant que l’on ajoute -niqsaq ou –laaq.

Lorsque –niqsaq est ajouté à un radical finissant par t, la t finale devient n :

naittuq

court

nainniqsaq

plus court (que)

 

Lorsque –laaq est ajouté à un radical finissant par une consonne, la consonne finale est supprimée:

naittuq

court

nailaaq

le plus court

40 » Simultaneous Actions

Inuktut has a set of verb endings to join an event with another event happening at the same time.

Pisulauqtunga nirillunga. I walked as I ate.
Uqalimaaqtuni sinililauqtuq While he was reading, he fell asleep.

Here is a complete list of these verb endings:

nirillunga while I was eating...
nirillutit while you were eating ...
nirilluni        while he was eating ...
nirillunuk  while the two of us were eating ...
nirilluta while we (3+) were eating ...
nirillusik while the two of you were eating...
nirillusi while you (3+) were eating ...
nirillutik while the two of them were eating ...
nirillutik while they (3+) were eating ...

The affixes above are used with verbs that end in a vowel.  When working with a verb that ends in a consonant, the beginning of the affix changes from ll to t:

uqaq- to speak
uqaqtunga while I was speaking ...
uqaqtutit    while you were speaking ...
uqaqtuni while he was speaking ...
uqaqtunuk  while the two of us were speaking ...
uqaqtuta while we (3+) were speaking ...
uqaqtusi while you (3+) were speaking ...
uqaqtutik While the two of them were speaking ...
uqaqtutik    While they (3+) were speaking ...

 

Important: All of the above endings are used when the two actions that appear in a sentence are performed by the same person.

Pisuttuni tikiqqaujuq He arrived walking.
Anillunga paallaqqaujunga As I was going out, I fell down.

If we want to describe two actions happening at the same time that were performed by different people we add ti- before the ending:

Uqaalatillutit siniliqqaujut While you were speaking, they fell asleep.
Aullasimatilluta sulauqqit? When we were away, what did you do?

In both of the above sentences, the two verbs are being performed by different people.

The -ti- ending can be directly added to a root ending in a verb or a consonant without affecting the spelling.

There is one form of this verb ending that is irregular. 

-luni  becomes -tillugu  
Niritillugu miqsulauqtuq. While he ate she sewed.

Here is a complete set of the endings beginning with ti-

aullasimatillunga while I was away...(you/he/she/they)...
aullasimatillutit while you were eating ...(I/he/she/they)...
aullasimatillugu        while he was eating ...(I/you/we/they)...
aullasimatillunuk  while the two of us were eating ...(you/he/she/they)...
aullasimatilluta while we (3+) were eating ...(you/he/she/they)...
aullasimatillusik while the two of you were eating...(I/he/she/they)...
aullasimatillusi while you (3+) were eating ...(I/he/she/they)...
aullasimatillutik while the two of them were eating ...(I/you/he/she)...
aullasimatillutik while they (3+) were eating ...(I/you/he/she)...