Dialogue: Where do you work?
Maika:
Nami iqqanaijaqqit Jaanii?ᓇᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑭᑦ, ᔮᓃ? Where do you work Jaani?
Jaani:
Nunavut Tunngavikkunni iqqanaijaqtunga. Ivvilli, nami iqqanaijaqqit Maikaa? ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᖓ. ᐃᕝᕕᓪᓕ, ᓇᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑭᑦ, ᒪᐃᑳ? I work at Nunavut Tunngavik. And where do you work Maika?
Maika:
Haammalakkunni iqqanaijaqtunga.ᕼᐋᒻᒪᓚᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᖓ. I work at the Hamlet.
Jaani:
Kisulirijiuvilli taikani? ᑭᓱᓕᕆᔨᐅᕕᓪᓕ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ?What do you do there?
Maika:
Kiinnaujalirijiujunga. ᑮᓐᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᖓ. I am a Finance Officer.
Jaani:
Asukuluk.ᐊᓱᑯᓗᒃ. oh, yeah?
Maika:
Ivvili, kisulirijiuvit Nunavut Tunngavikkunni?ᐃᕝᕕᓪᓕ, ᑭᓱᓕᕆᔨᐅᕕᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᓐᓂ? What do you do at Nunavut Tunngavik?
Jaani:
Atuagalirijiujunga.ᐊᑐᐊᒐᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᖓ. I am a policy analyst
Maika:
Asukuluk.ᐊᓱᑯᓗᒃ. I see.
Vocabulary
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Avatilirijikkut
ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
Department of the Environment
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Gavamalirijikkut
ᒐᕙᒪᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
Departrment of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs
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Haamalakkunnii iqqanaijaqqit?
ᕼᐋᒪᓚᒃᑯᓐᓃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑭᑦ?
Do you work at the hamlet?
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Haamalakkut
Hᐋᒪᓚᒃᑯᑦ
hamlet (municipal government)
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Ilinniaqtulirijikkut
ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
Department of Education
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Iliqqusilirijikkut
ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth
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Inuit Qikiqtani Katujjiqatigiikkunginni iqqanaijaqtuq.
ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᖏᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᖅ.
works at Qikiqtani Inuit Association (he...)
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Inulirijituqakkut
ᐃᓄᓕᕆᔨᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ
Department if Indian and Northern Affairs
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Iqqanaijaqtulirijikkunni iqqanaijaqtunga.
ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᖓ.
work at the Dept. of Human Resources (I...)
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Kanatami Mirnguisirvilirijikkut
ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᒥᕐᖑᐃᓯᕐᕕᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
Parks Canada
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Kiinaujalirijikkut
ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
Department of Finance
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Maligalirijikkut
ᒪᓕᒐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
Department of Justice
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Nami iqqanaijaqpit?
ᓇᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᐱᑦ?
Where do you work?
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Pinnguaqtulirijikkut
ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
Department of Recreation
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Tunngavikkunni iqqanaijaqtunga.
ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᖓ.
work at Nunavut Tunngavik (I...)
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asukuluk
ᐊᓱᑯᓗᒃ
oh yeah?; I see; that’s good to hear.
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aulausirijikkut
ᐊᐅᓚᐅᓯᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
power plant
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iqqanaijaqtuq
ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᖅ
works (he/she...)
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kamaji
ᑲᒪᔨ
co-ordinator
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kisulirijiuvit?
ᑭᓱᓕᕆᔨᐅᕕᑦ?
What do you do for a living?
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nami?
ᓇᒥ?
where?
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nukillausiriji
ᓄᑭᓪᓚᐅᓯᕆᔨ
electrician
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paliisikkut
ᐸᓖᓯᒃᑯᑦ
police department
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qattirijikkut
ᖃᑦᑎᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ
fire department
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Grammar
names of organizations
Observe the following Inuktitut names of organizations:
| Avatilirijikkut | Dept of the Environment |
| Iliqqusilirijikkut | Dept of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth |
| Inulirijituqakkut | Department of Indian and Northern Affairs |
| Qattirijikkut | Fire Department |
Note that many of these names end with the affix –kkut. Among its various meanings –kkut is used to designate an organization.
Many names of organizations include the affix –liriji. It is used to talk about a particular thing that a person is involved with or working on. –liriji deletes any consonant that appears immediately before it.
| kiinaujaq | money |
| kiinaujaq + liriji = kiinaujaliriji | person who deals with money |
| kiinaujaliriji + kkut = kiinaujalirijikkut | an organization of people who deal with money (Dept. of Finance) |
| illu | house |
| illulirijikkut | Housing Corporation |
-ni is an affix that is added to the end of a noun and is translated as “in” or “at” in English.
So, to the question:
| Nami iqqanaijaqqit? | Where do you work? |
One could answer:
| Kiinaujalirijikkunni iqqanaijaqtunga. | I work at the Department of Finance. |
Note that according to the rules of Inuktitut pronunciation, when the affix -ni is added to a root ending in t, the final t softens and becomes an n sound.