-tuq- is an affix that appears in the middle of Inuktitut words following a noun root. It should not be confused with the verb ending –tuq (meaning he/she/it).
-tuq- is attached to a noun to indicate:
| i) something that one drinks or eats: |
|
| natsiminiqtuqtuq | He/she eats seal meat. |
| tiituqtugut | We (3+) are drinking tea. |
| ii) something that one is using: | |
| umiaqtuqtuuk | The two of them are boating. |
This affix appears in the name of the lesson Kaapiturumaviit?:
| kaapi + tuq + juma + viit? = | kaapiturumaviit? |
| Do you want some coffee? |
The root imiq on its own means “water” or it can become a verb root, followed by a verb ending, to mean “to drink”. If you want to ask someone if they would like some water, do not use the affix –tuq- with the root imiq-. The correct way to ask the question is:
| imirumaviit? | (literally) Do you want to drink (some water)? |
| imirumajunga | I want to drink some water. |
| imiqtuq | He is drinking water. |