11 Nunavut

The Affix -jaqtuq-

This is a handy affix used to talk about going somewhere for a specific purpose. It has several forms depending on the last letter of the root it is attached to.

Following roots ending in vowels, use -jaqtuq-

niri-	nirijaqtuqtunga
to eat	I am going (somewhere) to eat.
katima-	katimajaqtuqtugut
to meet	We are going to a meeting.

Following roots ending in -q, use -riaq-:

pinnguaq-	pinnguariaqtuq
to play	he/she is going somewhere to play/compete
qikaq-	Nuummut qikariaqtuq.
to rest	He/she is going to Nuuk for a holiday.
pulaaq-	Piitakkunnut pulaariaqtunga
to visit	I am going to visit at Piita's place.

Following k, use -giaq-

sinik-	sinigiaqtut
to sleep	They are going (somewhere) to sleep.

When -mi, -mut, & -mit are added to stems ending in q, they change final q to r:

Qurluqtuq	Qurluqturmit	Qurluqturmut
Kugluktuk	from Kugluktuk	to Kugluktuk

...and they change all other final consonants to m:

Ikpiarjuk	Ikpiarjummit	Ikpiarjummut
Arctic Bay	from Arctic Bay	to Arctic Bay

Nunavut	Nunavummit	Nunavummut
Nunavut	from Nunavut	to Nunavut

Watch out for the exception, though!  When the final consonant of a stem has two vowels before it, -mi, -mit and -mut delete the final consonant:

Panniqtuuq	Panniqtuumi	Panniqtuumut
Pangnirtung	in Pangnirtung	from Pangnirtung

Qikiqtarjuaq	Qikiqtarjuami	Qikiqtarjuamit
Qikiqtarjuaq	in Qikiqtarjuaq	from Qikiqtarjuaq

 

The above affixes have a plural form: -ni, -nut, & -nit:

kinngaq	kinngarni	kinngarnit	kinngarnut
hill	in the hills; also in Cape Dorset	to the hills; to Cape Dorset	from the hills; from Cape Dorset

We can use these affixes when answering the following questions:

namiippit?	allavvimmi
Where are you?	at the office
namunngaqqit?	Pirurvimmut
Where are you going?	to Pirurvik
nakingaaqqit?	uvattinnit
Where are you coming from?	from our place

There is a little trick in dealing with the names of communities, in that several are considered plural, instead of singular:

Singluar	Plural
Sanikiluaq	Iqaluit
Kimmirut	Kinngait
Qamanittuaq	Naujaat
Uqsuqtuuq	Arviat
Qurluqtuq	Salliit

 

This affects what affix we can use with them. For the singular place names, we use -mi, -mut, & -mit. For the plural place names we have to use -ni, -nut, & -nit.

Namiippit?	Sanikiluarmi	Iqalunni
Namuungaqqit?	Ikpiarjummut	Sallirnut
Nakingaaqqit?	Uqsuqtuurmit	Kinngarnit

 

The affixes -miit-, -muuq, and -minngaaq also follows this pattern:

Singluar	Plural
Uqsuqtuumuuqtunga	Arvianuuqtunga
I am going to Gjoa Haven.	I am going to Arviat.
Iqaluktuuttiarmiittuq	Kinngarniittuq
She is in Cambridge Bay.	She is in Cape Dorset.

 

When using the plural endings -ni, -nut, & -nit,remember to tack them on to the singular form of the noun:

Iqaluit	iqaluk	Iqalunni
fishes	fish	in Iqaluit
Salliit	salliq	Sallirni
flat islands	flat island	in Coral Harbour