14 Timi

In English, when we want to give a reason for something, we add a clause to a sentence that usually begins with the word “because”:

 

We are leaving because we are tired.

 

In Inuktitut the clause that is underlined above is usually represented in one word. This word has a special ending that lets us know who we are talking about:

 

Anijugut taqagatta.

We are leaving because we are tired

 

Here is a list of these endings:

taqagama	because I am tired
taqagavit	because you are tired
taqammat	because he is tired
taqagannuk	because the two of us are tired
taqagatta	because all of us are tired
taqagattik	because the two of you are tired
taqagatsi	because all of you are tired
taqammatik	because the two of them are tired
taqammata	because all of them are tired

 

Adding these affixes to roots ending in k:

 

The first letter of the endings that begin in g changes to k :

malik-	to follow
malikkama	because I followed
tupak-	to wake up
tupakkavit	because you woke up

 

The endings that begin in m are unchanged.  They delete the last consonant of the root:

Adding these affixes to roots ending in t:

 

The last letter of the root and the first letter of the affix both change to n:

tikit-	to arrive
tikinnama	because I arrived
tikinnatsi	because you all arrived

 

The endings that begin in m are unchanged. They delete the last consonant of the root:

tikimmat	because he arrived
tikimmata	because they arrived

Adding these affixes to roots ending in q:

 

The last consonant of the root is deleted and the affix begins with r:

aullaq-	to leave town; depart
aullarama	because I left town.
aullarmat	because he left town.
uqalimaaq-	to read
uqalimaaravit	because you are reading
uqalimaarmata	because they are reading