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

Following roots ending in q, use -riaqtuq-

ilinniaq-	to learn
ilinniariaqtuqtunga	I am going to school. (literally, going to learn).
niuviq-	to shop
niuviriaqtuqtuq	she/he is going shopping
uglaq-	to visit
Pittakkunnut uglariaqtuqtunga	I am going to visit at Piita's place.

Following k, use -giaqtuq-

hinik-	to sleep
hinigiaqtuqtut	They are going (somewhere) to sleep.

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

tupiq + mi

tupirmi

in the tent

...and they change final k to ng:

kuuk + mit =

kuungmit

from the river

All of the above affixes have a plural form: -ni, -nut, & -nit

kuuga'naammut	kuuga'naanut
to the creek	to the creeks
tahirmit	tahirnit
from the lake	from the lakes
natirnarmi	natirnarni
in the valley	in the valleys

We can use these affixes when answering the following questions:

Naniippit?	hirluarmi
Where are you?	in the shed
Namuakpit?	iglurusirmut
Where are you going?	to the cabin
Nakingaaqqit?	kinngarnit
Where are you coming from?	from the mountains

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

 

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.

Naniitpit?	Sanikiluarmi	Iqalungni
Namuakpit?	Ikpiarjungmut	Arviannut
Nakingaaqpit?	Uqsuqtuurmit	Kinngarnit

 

The verbs-muŋŋau- and -miit- also follows this pattern:

singular	plural
Uqsuqtuurmuliaqtunga	Naujaanuliaqtunga
I am on my way to Gjoa Haven.	I am on my way to Repulse Bay.
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	Iqalungni
fishes	fish	In Iqaluit
Kinngait	kinngaq	Kinngarni
hills; mountains	hill; mountain	in Cape Dorset