Grammar » 23 » in, to, from
Inuktut has three handy affixes for describing where you are, where you are going, or where you are coming from. They follow a similar pattern.
| -mi |
at / in |
| Kanatami |
in Canada |
| |
|
| -mit |
from |
| Kanatamit |
from Canada |
| |
|
| -mut |
to |
| Kanatamut |
to Canada |
When
-mi,
-mut, &
-mit are added to stems ending in
-q, they change final
-q to
-r :
| Qurluqtuq |
Kugluktuk |
| Qurluqturmit |
from Kugluktuk |
| Qurluqturmut |
to Kugluktuk |
...and they change all other final consonants to -m :
| Ikpiarjuk |
Arctic Bay |
| Ikpiarjummit |
from Arctic Bay |
| Ikpiarjummut |
to Arctic Bay |
| |
|
| Nunavut |
Nunavut |
| Nunavummit |
from Nunavut |
| Nunavummut |
to Nunavut |
Some speakers delete the final consonant sound when the vowel sound that comes before it is long or doubled:
| Panniqtuuq |
Pangnirtung |
| Panniqtuumi |
in Pangnirtung |
| Panniqtuumut |
from Pangnirtung |
| |
|
| Qikiqtarjuaq |
Qikiqtarjuaq |
| Qikiqtarjuami |
in Qikiqtarjuaq |
| Qikiqtarjuamit |
from Qikiqtarjuaq |
The above affixes have a plural form: -ni, -nut, & -nit :
| kinngaq |
hill |
| kinngarni |
in the hills; also in Cape Dorset |
| kinngarnit |
from the hills; from Cape Dorset |
| kinngarnut |
to the hills; to Cape Dorset |
We can use these affixes when answering the following questions :
| namiippit? |
Where are you? |
| allavvimmi |
at the office |
| |
| namunngaqqit? |
Where are you going? |
| Pirurvimmut |
to Pirurvik |
| |
| nakingaaqqit? |
Where are you coming from? |
| uvattinnit |
from our place |
Or, in conversation, you may hear one of these short questions:
| nami ? |
where? |
| namut? |
to where? |
| nakit? |
from where? |