3 Suvit?

The Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin) dialects of Inuktut are fairly precise in how they deal with tenses. Affixes are added to verbs that indicate that an event will happen in the immediate future, later the same day or farther in the future.

The Immediate Future

To talk about event that will happen later the same day, isert the affix -niaq- between the verb and the subject ending:

suvit?	suniaqqit?
What are you doing?	What will you be doing?
nirijunga	niriniaqtunga
I am eating.	I will be eating.

When -niaq- is added to a root that ends in -q, the q changes to r.

kaapituq + niaq + tunga =	kaapiturniaqtunga.
	I will be drinking coffee.

When -niaq- is added to a root ending in -k or -k  it changes the final k or  t to n.

pisuk/pisut + niaq + tuq =	pisunniaqtuq
	He/she is going to walk.

 

In Iqaluit, -langa- is the affix that is most commonly used for an event in the immediate future.  -langa- can be attached directly to a root that ends in a vowel.  When attached to a root ending in a consonant, it deletes the final consonant:

ullumi aullalangajuq

He/she is going to depart today.

 

Events farther in the Future

-laaq- is an affix used for events that will be happening the next day or further into the future.

 

iqqanaijarniaqtunga	iqqanaijalaaqtunga
I am going to work (later that day).	I will be working (sometime in the future).
takuniaqpugut	takulaarivugut
See you soon!	See you later/ See you then!

If -laaq- is added to a stem that ends in a consonant, it deletes the last consonant.

aullaq + laaq + tuq =	aullalaaqtuq
	He will leave town.

-rataaq- is an affix that is used to describe actions that have happened in the immediate past (within the hour).

isirataaqtuq

She just came in.

tikirataaqtugut

We just arrived.

-qqau- is an affix that is used to describe actions that have happened earlier in the day.

uqaalaqqaujuq

He called earlier.

angirraqqaujunga

I went home (earlier that day).

 

-lauq- is used to describe actions that have happened yesterday or in the not too distant past.

ippatsaq tuttulialauqtuq

Yesterday, he went caribou hunting.

taqqiulauqtumi qikalauqtuq

Last month she went on holidays.

Note that when any of the above affixes are added to a root ending in a consonant, they delete the final consonant.

aullaq + rataaq + tuq =	aullarataaqtuq
	She just left (departed) a few minutes ago.
tikit + qqau + juq =	tikiqqaujuq
	He arrived earlier.
malik + lauq + tut =	malilauqtut
	They followed (yesterday or earlier).

 

Important: Inuktitut speakers don't always use these affixes to talk about events in the past. At times you have to rely on context of the conversation to know whether a verb like "nirijuq" refers to an event right now or in the past.

tikippit?	tikippunga
Did you arrive/make it here OK?	I arrived/made it here OK.