Dialogue: Family reunion
Vocabulary
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parnattuq
ᐸᕐᓇᑦᑐᖅ
preparations to leave (he/she is making...)
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uik
ᐅᐃᒃ
husband
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nuliaq
ᓄᓕᐊᖅ
wife
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aippaq
ᐊᐃᑉᐸᖅ
spouse; partner; common-law
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amauq
ᐊᒪᐅᖅ
great-grandfather
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amauqpaaq
ᐊᒪᐅᖅᐹᖅ
great-great grandfather
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irngutaq
ᐃᕐᖑᑕᖅ
grandchild
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attak
ᐊᑦᑕᒃ
aunt (father’s sister)
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ajak
ᐊᔭᒃ
aunt (mother’s sister)
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akkak
ᐊᒃᑲᒃ
uncle (father’s brother)
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angak
ᐊᖓᒃ
uncle (mother’s brother)
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airaapik
ᐊᐃᕌᐱᒃ
sister-in-law (brother’s wife)
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sakiaq
ᓴᑭᐊᖅ
sister-in-law (husband’s sister)
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airaapik
ᐊᐃᕌᐱᒃ
brother-in-law (sister’s husband)
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illuq
ᐃᓪᓗᖅ
cousin
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illukuluapik
ᐃᓪᓗᑯᓗᐊᐱᒃ
cousins (both female)
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illuarjuk
ᐃᓪᓗᐊᕐᔪᒃ
cousins (both male)
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sakik
ᓴᑭᒃ
parents-in-law
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sakiqpaaq
ᓴᑭᖅᐹᖅ
grandparents-in-law
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illuralaaq
ᐃᓪᓗᕋᓛᖅ
cabin
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illuralaattinnut
ᐃᓪᓗᕋᓛᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ
cabin (to my/our...)
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malittuq
ᒪᓕᑦᑐᖅ
follows; comes along (he/she...)
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Grammar
37 » Possession (advanced)
There are ways of expressing two or even three levels of relationships within the same sentence, i.e. when the possessor has its own possessor:
anaanaga | my mother |
anaanama aninga | my mother's brother |
anaanama aningik | my mother’s two brothers |
anaanama aningit | my mother’s brothers (3+) |
The -ma ending relates the root word back to me, but it also relates the root to another person or people.
Note that the word that follows -ma must take the ending -nga (in the singular), -ngik in the dual or -ngit in the plural to show that it is part of the possessive relationship.
The ending -ma could be followed by an object as well as a person:
nukaq | a younger sibling of the same sex |
nukarma umianga | my younger sibling’s boat |
panik | daughter |
panimma nunasiutinga | my daughter’s car |
Note also in the above examples that -ma changes the final -k of a noun root to -m and final -q to -r, while -nga deletes a preceding consonant.
The following table sets out the variations of this type of construction:
-ma | |
anaanama aninga | my mother's brother |
-tta | |
anaanatta aninga | our (2+) mother’s brother |
-vit | |
anaanavit aninga | your (1) mother's brother |
-ssik | |
anaanassik aninga | the brother of your (2) mother |
-ssi | |
anaanassi aninga | the brother of your (3+) mother |
-ngata | |
anaanangata aninga | his/her mother's brother |
-ngatta | |
anaanangatta aninga | the brother of their (2) mother |
-ngita | anaanangita aninga |
anaanangita aninga | the brother of their (3+) mother |
Remember, in the third person, if you want to name the possessor, you add the ending -up to the end of the name or noun:
Simiuniup nunasiutinga | Simiuni’s car |
angutiup qimmingit | the man’s dogs |
From the table above, we can use the endings -ngata (singular) and -ngita (dual/plural) to build even more complex layers of relationships:
ataatama piqatingata umianga | my father’s friend’s boat; the boat of my father’s friend |
piqativit nuliangata aninga | your friend’s wife’s brother; the brother of your wife’s friend |
Simiuniup nunasiutingata kiinga | the key to Simiuni’s car |
angutiup qimmingita anungit | the man’s dogs’ harnesses; the harnesses of the man’s dogs |