-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? |
Watch out for the root imiq- in Inuktitut which can mean either the noun “water” or the verb “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. |