Dialogue: Travel
Vocabulary
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tariuq
ᑕᕆᐅᖅ
sea
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tasiujaq
ᑕᓯᐅᔭᖅ
bay
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imaup sinaa
ᐃᒪᐅᑉ ᓯᓈ
seashore
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nuvua
ᓄᕗᐊ
point of land
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qikiqtaq
ᕿᑭᖅᑕᖅ
island
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kangiqtuk
ᑲᖏᖅᑐᒃ
inlet; fiord
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tasiq
ᑕᓯᖅ
lake
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kuugalaak
ᑰᒐᓛᒃ
creek
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kuuk
ᑰᒃ
river
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qurlurniq
ᖁᕐᓗᕐᓂᖅ
waterfall
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nuna
ᓄᓇ
land
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kinngait
ᑭᙵᐃᑦ
mountains
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qaqqajaaq
ᖃᖅᑲᔮᖅ
hill
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Iqaluit
ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ
Iqaluit
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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 |
| Qurluqturmit | from Kugluktuk |
| Qurluqturmut | to Kugluktuk |
...and they change all other final consonants to -m :
| Ikpiarjuk | Arctic Bay |
| Ikpiarjummit | from Arctic Bay |
| Ikpiarjummut | to Arctic Bay |
| Nunavut | Nunavut |
| Nunavummit | from Nunavut |
| Nunavummut | to Nunavut |
Some speakers delete the final consonant sound when the vowel sound that comes before it is long or doubled:
| Panniqtuuq | Pangnirtung |
| Panniqtuumi | in Pangnirtung |
| Panniqtuumut | from Pangnirtung |
| Qikiqtarjuaq | Qikiqtarjuaq |
| Qikiqtarjuami | in Qikiqtarjuaq |
| Qikiqtarjuamit | from Qikiqtarjuaq |
The above affixes have a plural form: -ni, -nut, & -nit :
| kinngaq | hill |
| kinngarni | in the hills; also in Cape Dorset |
| kinngarnit | from the hills; from Cape Dorset |
| kinngarnut | to the hills; to Cape Dorset |
| namiippit? | Where are you? |
| allavvimmi | at the office |
| namunngaqqit? | Where are you going? |
| Pirurvimmut | to Pirurvik |
| nakingaaqqit? | Where are you coming from? |
| uvattinnit | from our place |
Or, in conversation, you may hear one of these short questions:
| nami ? | where? |
| namut? | to where? |
| 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 :
| Singluar | Plural |
| Sanikiluaq | Iqaluit |
| Kimmirut | Kinngait |
| Qamanittuaq | Naujaat |
| Uqsuqtuuq | Arviat |
| Qurluqtuq | Salliit |
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 :
| Namiippit? | |
| Sanikiluarmi (singular) | Iqalunni (plural) |
| Namuungaqqit? | |
| Ikpiarjummut (singular) | Sallirnut (plural) |
| Nakingaaqqit? | |
| Uqsuqtuurmit (singular) | Kinngarnit (plural) |
The affixes -miit-, -muuq-, and -minngaaq- also follow this pattern :
| Singluar | Plural |
| Uqsuqtuumuuqtunga | Arvianuuqtunga |
| I am going to Gjoa Haven. | I am going to Arviat. |
| Iqaluktuuttiarmiittuq | Kinngarniittuq |
| She is in Cambridge Bay. | She is in Kinngait. |
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 |
| Iqalunni | 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- / -giaq- / -riaq- 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 -riaq- :
| pinnguaq- | to play; to compete |
| Aatuvaamut pinnguariaqtuq. | he/she is going to Ottawa to compete |
| qikaq- | to rest |
| Kalaallit Nunanganut qikariaqtuq. | He/she is going to Greenland for a holiday. |
| pulaaq- | to visit |
| Piitakkunnut pulaariaqtunga. | I am going to visit at Piita's place. |
Following -k, use -giaq- :
| sinik- | to sleep |
| sinigiaqtut | They are going (somewhere) to sleep. |