In English we have words that we put before nouns to indicate who they belong to:
| my jacket | your parka |
In Inuktut, we add an affix to the end of the noun. The above would be translated:
| jaikaga | qulittaujait |
The same endings can be used for possessions or relations:
| ataataga | my father |
| irniit | your son |
In English the words that indicate possession: my, your, our, etc. are fairly straightforward. There is only one form that we use before any noun, be it singular or plural:
| my car | my cars |
ONE POSSESSION OR RELATION
| illuga | my house |
| illuit | your (1) house |
| illunga | his / her house |
| illuvuk | our (2) house |
| illuvut | our (3+) house |
| illusi | your (2+) house |
| illungat | their house |
SOME TRICKIER DETAILS...
(i) For nouns that end in vowels, you just add the ending.
If these endings are added to a noun that ends in a consonant, the last consonant is deleted:
| jaikak | jacket |
| jaikaga | my jacket |
| qimmiq | dog |
| qimmisi | your (2+) dog |
| allavvik | office |
| allavvingat | their office |
(ii) -ga (my) has a second form, -ra, that is used after any noun that ends in -q:
| nasaq | hat |
| nasara | my hat |
| qulittaujaq | parka |
| qulittaujara | my parka |
(iii) For the Inuktut version of 'your' just add -t (instead of -it) to roots that end in two vowels:
| tui | shoulder |
| tuit | your shoulder |
| qiluaq | belt |
| qiluat | your belt |
TWO POSSESSIONS OR RELATIONS
| panik | daughter |
| paniikka(k) | my two daughters |
| panivuk | our (2+) two daughters |
| paniikkik | your two daughters |
| panisik | your (2+) two daughters |
| paningik | his/her/their two daughters |
- The last vowel sound of the root is lengthened before the endings -kkak and -kkik.
- All dual endings delete the last consonant sound of the root to which they are added.
- The endings for “his / her” and “their” are the same. Context makes it clear who you are speaking of.
3+ POSSESSIONS OR RELATIONS
| irniq | son |
| irnikka | my sons (3+) |
| irnivut | our sons (3+) |
| irnitit | your (1) sons (3+) |
| irnisi | your (2+) sons (3+) |
| irningit | his/her/their sons (3+) |
- All plural possessive endings delete the last consonant of roots they are added to.
- The endings for “her/his” and “their” are the same. Context makes it clear who you are speaking of.
NAMING THE PERSON WHO POSSESSES SOMETHING
In English, when we want to name a person that something belongs to, we add an apostrophe + s to the person's name, followed by the object:
| Mary's car | Piita's dog |
In Inuktut, these three sentences would be written this way:
| Mialiup nunasiutinga | Piitaup qimminga |
- Note that the affix -up is attached to the possessor's name, much like apostrophe + s is used in English.
- the affix -nga is added to the person or thing that is possessed if it is singular; -ngik if it is dual; and -ngit if it is plural.
| arnaup qullinga | the woman's qulliq |
| angutiup pualungik | the man's mittens (2) |
| Naullaup qimmingit | Naullaq’s dogs (3+) |