CALLING OR WRITING TO SOMEONE
Inuktitut uses a structure that is different than English to indicate that you are calling or writing to someone:
| uqaalavigijaanga | titirarvigijanga |
| He/she calls me. | He/she writes to him. |
To build these phrases:
1. Begin with the basic verb:
| uqaala- | titiraq- |
| to call | 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 ending to indicate who is calling/writing and who is being called or written to:
| uqaalavigiviuk? |
| Are you calling him/her? |
| uqaalavigijara |
| I am calling him/her. |
| Ippatsaq uqaalavigilauqtaatit. |
| He/she called you yesterday. |
| titirarvigivauk? |
| Is he/she writing to him/her? |
| titirarvigijanga |
| He/she is writing to him/her. |