Dialogue: Travel
Vocabulary
|
|
tariuq
sea
|
|
|
kangiqłuk
bay
|
|
|
tariup hinaa
seashore
|
|
|
tikiraq
point of land
|
|
|
qikiqtaq
island
|
|
|
kaŋiqłuk
inlet; fiord
|
|
|
tahiq
lake
|
|
|
kuugauřaq
creek
|
|
|
kuugaq
river
|
|
|
qurluqtuq
waterfall
|
|
|
nuna
land
|
|
|
kiŋŋat
mountains
|
|
|
piŋuq
hill
|
|
|
Iqaluit
Iqaluit
|
Grammar
23 » in, to, from
Inuktut has three handy affixes for describing where you are, where you are going, or where you are coming from. They follow a similar pattern.
| -mi | at / in |
| Kanatami | in Canada |
| -mit | from |
| Kanatamit | from Canada |
| -mut | to |
| Kanatamut | to Canada |
| Qurluqtuq | Kugluktuk |
| Qurluqturmi | in Kuglukutk |
| Qurluqturmit | from Kugluktuk |
| Qurluqturmut | to Kugluktuk |
When -mi, -mut, & -mit are added to stems ending in -k, they change final -k to -ng :
| Kuugaarjuk | Kugaaruk |
| Kuugaarjungmi | in Kugaaruk |
| Kuugaarjungmit | from Kugaaruk |
| Kuugaarjungmut | to Kugaaruk |
When -mi, -mut, & -mit are added to stems ending in -t, they change final -t to -n :
| Nunavut | Nunavut |
| Nunavu'mi | in Nunavut |
| Nunavu'mit | from Nunavut |
| Nunavu'mut | to Nunavut |
The above affixes have a plural form: -ni, -nut, & -nit :
| igluqpannuarmut | to the cabin |
| igluqpannuarnut | to the cabins |
| tahirmit | from the lake |
| tahirnit | from the lakes |
We can use these affixes when answering the following questions :
| humiitpit? | Where are you? |
| Qurluqturmi | in Kugluktuk |
| humunngauvit? | Where are you going? |
| Iqaluktuttiuarmut | to Cambridge Bay |
| humi’nngaaqpit? | Where are you coming from? |
| Iqalungnit | from Iqaluit |
Or, in conversation, you may hear one of these short questions:
| humi / nani? | where? |
| humut? | to where? |
| humit / nakit? | from where? |
24 » Names of Communities
There is a little trick in dealing with the names of communities, in that several are considered plural, instead of singular :
| Singular | Plural |
| Uqšuqtuuq | Iqaluit |
| Talurřuaq | Kinngait |
| Kuugaarjuk | Naujaat |
| Iqaluktuuttiaq | Arviat |
| Qurluqtuq | Salliit |
| Sanikiluaq | |
| Kimmirut | |
| Qamanittuaq |
This affects what affix we can use with them. For the singular place names, we use -mi, -mut, & -mit. For the plural place names we have to use -ni, -nut, & -nit :
| Naniitpit? | |
| Talurřuarmi (singular) | Iqalungni (plural) |
| Humunngauvit? | |
| Uqšuqtuurmut (singular) | Sallirnut (plural) |
| Humi’nngaaqpit? | |
| Kuugaarjungmit (singular) | Arvianit (plural) |
The affixes -miit-, -munngau-, and -minngaaq- also follow this pattern :
| Singular | Plural |
| Uqhuqtuurmunngauřunga | Iqalungnunngauřunga |
| I am going to Gjoa Haven. | I am going to Iqaluit. |
| Iqaluktuuttiarmiittuq | Kinngarniittuq |
| She is in Cambridge Bay. | She is in Kinngait. |
| Kuugaarjungmingaaqtut | Arvianingaaqtut |
| They are coming from Kugaaruk. | They are coming from Arviat |
When using the plural endings -ni, -nut, & -nit, remember to tack them on to the singular form of the noun :
| Iqaluit | Iqaluit; also fishes |
| iqaluk | fish |
| Iqalungni | in Iqaluit |
| Salliit | Coral Harbour; also flat hills |
| salliq | flat hill |
| Sallirni | in Coral Harbour |
25 » Going somewhere to do something
The handy affix -jaqtuq- / -giaqtuq- / -riaqtuq- is used to talk about going somewhere for a specific purpose. It has several forms depending on the last letter of the root it is attached to.
Following roots ending in vowels, use -jaqtuq-
| niri- | to eat |
| nirijaqtuqtunga | I am going (somewhere) to eat. |
| katima- | to meet |
| katimajaqtuqtugut | We are going to a meeting. |
Following roots ending in -q, use -riaqtuq-
| minnguiqhiq- | to go on vacation; to rest |
| minnguiqhiriaqtuqtuq | she/he goes to school |
| niuviq- | to shop |
| niuviriaqtuqtuq | she/he is going shopping |
| uglaq- | to visit |
| Pittatku’nut uglariaqtuqtunga | I am going to visit at Piita's place. |
Following -k, use -giaqtuq-
| hinik- | to sleep |
| hinigiaqtuqtut | They are going (somewhere) to sleep. |