Dialogue: Whose is this?
Vocabulary
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Kiap una?
ᑭᐊᑉ ᐅᓇ?
Who does this belong to?
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una
ᐅᓇ
this / he / she
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Kiap ukua?
ᑭᐊᑉ ᐅᑯᐊ?
Who do these things belong to?
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ukua
ᐅᑯᐊ
these
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Una kiap nasanga?
ᐅᓇ ᑭᐊᑉ ᓇᓴᖓ?
Who does this hat belong to?
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nasaq
ᓇᓴᖅ
hat
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aggaak
ᐊᒡᒑᒃ
gloves (two)
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pualuuk
ᐳᐊᓘᒃ
mittens (a pair of)
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kamiik
ᑲᒦᒃ
boots (skin)
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kamaaluuk ukiuqsiutiik
ᑲᒫᓘᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᓯᐅᑏᒃ
boots (winter)
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kamikutaak
ᑲᒥᑯᑖᒃ
boots (long)
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kamaaluuk
ᑲᒫᓘᒃ
boots (rubber)
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isigaujaak
ᐃᓯᒐᐅᔮᒃ
shoes (a pair of)
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qulittaujaq
ᖁᓕᑦᑕᐅᔭᖅ
parka
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silapaaq
ᓯᓚᐹᖅ
parka outer shell
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jaikak
ᔭᐃᑲᒃ
jacket
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nuijagaq
ᓄᐃᔭᒐᖅ
sweater
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ikiaq
ᐃᑭᐊᖅ
shirt
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uviniruq
ᐅᕕᓂᕈᖅ
t-shirt
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qarliik
ᖃᕐᓖᒃ
pants
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qiluaq
ᕿᓗᐊᖅ
belt
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qarlialuuk
ᖃᕐᓕᐊᓘᒃ
wind pants
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angijuqtaq
ᐊᖏᔪᖅᑕᖅ
skirt
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atajuq
ᐊᑕᔪᖅ
dress
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kiati
ᑭᐊᑎ
blouse
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Grammar
26 » Possessions & Relations
In English we have words that we put before nouns to indicate who they belong to:
my jacket | your parka |
In Inuktut, we add an affix to the end of the noun. The above would be translated:
jaikaga | qulitaujait |
The same endings can be used for possessions or relations:
ataataga | my father |
irniit | your son |
In English the words that indicate possession: my, your, our, etc. are fairly straightforward. There is only one form that we use before any noun, be it singular or plural:
my car | my cars |
In Inuktut, though, different endings are used depending on whether the thing that is possessed is singular, dual or plural.
ONE POSSESSION OR RELATION
illuga | my house |
illuit | your (1) house |
illunga | his / her house |
illuvuk | our (2) house |
illuvut | our (3+) house |
illusi | your (2+) house |
illungat | their house |
SOME TRICKIER DETAILS...
(i) For nouns that end in vowels, you just add the ending.
If these endings are added to a noun that ends in a consonant, the last consonant is deleted:
jaikak | jacket |
jaikaga | my jacket |
qimmiq | dog |
qimmisi | your (2+) dog |
allavvik | office |
allavvingat | their office |
(ii) -ga (my) has a second form, -ra, that is used after any noun that ends in -q:
nasaq | hat |
nasara | my hat |
qulitaujaq | parka |
qulitaujara | my parka |
(iii) For the Inuktut version of 'your' just add -t (instead of -it) to roots that end in two vowels:
tui | shoulder |
tuit | your shoulder |
qiluaq | belt |
qiluat | your belt |
TWO POSSESSIONS OR RELATIONS
kamiik | two skin boots |
kamiikkak | my two skin boots |
kamiikkik | your (1) two skin boots |
kamiingik | his or her two skin boots |
kamivuk | our two skin boots |
kamisik | your (2+) two skin boots |
kamingik | their two skin boots |
- The last vowel sound in the root is lengthened before -kkak and -kkik to make pronunciation easier.
- All dual endings delete the last consonant
- The endings for “his / her” and “their” are the same. Context makes it clear who you are speaking of.
3+ POSSESSIONS OR RELATIONS
pualut | mittens (3+) |
pualukka | my mittens (3+) |
pualutit | your (1) mittens (3+) |
pualungit | his or her mittens (3+) |
pualuvut | our mittens (3+) |
pualusi | your mittens (3+) |
pualungit | their mittens (3+) |
- All plural possessive endings delete the last consonant of roots they are added to.
- The endings for “her/his” and “their” are the same. Context makes it clear who you are speaking of.
NAMING THE PERSON WHO POSSESSES SOMETHING
In English, when we want to name a person that something belongs to, we add an apostrophe + s to the person's name, followed by the object:
Mary's car | Piita's dogs |
In Inuktut, these three sentences would be written this way:
Mialiup nunasiutinga | Piitaup qimmingit |
- Note that the affix -up is attached to the possessor's name, much like apostrophe + s is used in English.
- the affix -nga is added to the person or thing that is possessed if it is singular; -ngik if it is dual; and -ngit if it is plural.
Naullaq + up = | |
Naullaup qullinga | Naullaq's qulliq |
Remember that in Inuktut you normally don't find more than two vowels in a row. So, if you delete the final consonant and the root ends in two vowels, just add p instead of -up:
qallunaaq + up = | |
qallunaap illuralaanga | the qallunaaq's cabin |
-up works for more than just names. It can be added to any noun, as long as it is singular:
angutiup nasanga | the man's hat |
najaup kamingik | the sister's kamiks |
qimmiup umiangit | the dog's tail |