This lesson will look at the grammar you use to call or write someone:
| uqaalavigijaatit | She is calling you. |
| titirarvigijanga | He is writing to her. |
To build these phrases:
1. Begin with the basic verb:
| uqaala- | to call |
| titiraq- | to write |
2. Add the affix –vik. This is normally used to indicate a place. When it is added to uqaala- or titiraq- it means the person who is being called or written to.
3. Add the affix –gi. It will delete the final -k in -vik:
| uqaala + vik + gi = | uqaalavigi- |
| titiraq + vik + gi = | titirarvigi- |
4. Add the transitive verb ending to indicate who is calling / writing and who is being called or written to:
| uqaalavigiviuk? | Are you calling her? |
| uqaalavigijara | I am calling her. |
| Ippatsaq uqaalavigilauqtaatit. | She called you yesterday. |
| titirarvigivauk? | Is he writing to her? |
| titirarvigijanga | She is writing to him. |
5. So, when we put all of the pieces together:
uqaala + vi + gi + jara
We get, as a very literal translation: “I have him as the place I am calling” or, as we would say in English, “I am calling him.”