11 Nunavut

The handy affix -jaqtuq- is 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- :

pinnguaq-	to play
pinnguariaqtuq	he/she is going somewhere to play/compete
qikaq-	to rest
Nuummut qikariaqtuq.	He/she is going to Nuuk for a holiday.
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 :

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

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	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

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 (singular)	Iqalunni (plural)
Namuungaqqit?
Ikpiarjummut (singular)	Sallirnut (plural)
Nakingaaqqit?
Uqsuqtuurmit (singular)	Kinngarnit (plural)

 

The affixes -miit-, -muuq-, and -minngaaq- also follow 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	Iqaluit; also fishes
iqaluk	fish
Iqalunni	in Iqaluit
Salliit	Coral Harbour; also flat hills
salliq	flat hill
Sallirni	in Coral Harbour