11 Nunavut

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 -riaq-

ilinniaq-	to learn
ilinniariaqtuq	she goes to school (literally, goes to learn)
niuviq-	to shop
niuviriaqtuq	she/he is going shopping
pulaaq-	to visit
Piitakkunnut pulaariaqtunga	I am going to visit at Piita's place.

Following k, use -giaq-

sinik-	to sleep
sinigiaqtut	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 all other final consonants to m:

kuuk + mit =

kuummit

from the river

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

kuugalaammut	kuugalaanut
to the creek	to the creeks
tasirmit	tasirnit
from the lake	from the lakes
naqsarmi	naqsarni
in the valley	in the valleys

We can use these affixes when answering the following questions:

Namiippit?	nunasiummi
Where are you?	in the car
Namunngaqqit?	illuralaarmut
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
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 verbs-munngau- and -miit- also follows this pattern:

singular	plural
Uqsuqtuurmuuqtunga	Naujaanuuqtunga
I am going to Gjoa Haven.	I am going 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	Iqalunni
fishes	fish	In Iqaluit
Salliit	salliq	Sallirni
flat islands	flat island	in Coral Harbour

 

see also: -mi, -mut & -mit