Inuktitut history

            Before English took over, Inuktitut was the most widely dispersed language in the world; it was spoken in Siberia, Alaska, across northern Canada including northern Quebec and Labrador and Greenland.

            There are many different dialects, I speak the Aivilingmiut dialect but I have spoken to people from Alaska and Greenland in Inuktitut.

            The language is known as Inuktitut by most people and Inuktut by some. The distinction is moot: Inuktitut means “like the Inuit”, Inuktut means “like an Inuk.” So take your pick. Most of us Inuit use Inuktitut.

            Inuktitut has always been studied as a spoken language. By that, I mean it is studied to teach Inuktitut to students who have no knowledge of the language or to further the knowledge of Inuktitut speaking people. It has not been studied as a language that I am aware of. By that, I mean it has not been studied as old Inuktitut, middle Inuktitut or modern Inuktitut as English is. We tell the traditional legends of the Inuit. When the characters speak, their original words are usually used. Those original words have been spoken since the stories were first told, eons ago. There was middle Inuktitut that was spoken before outside influencesmade changes to the language. And modern Inuktitut when new concepts were introduced, new things unknown to the Inuit had to be given names, words took on new meanings as the outside world encroached on lands inhabited by Inuit and words had to be added to include many concepts in religion.

            The dialects are interesting. I have always thought that it would be an interesting exercise to trace the movement of Inuit through a study of these dialects. There is this ongoing argument that Inuit came from Siberia through the Bering Strait during the last ice age. That would mean we were here at least 10,500 years ago because the ice age ended 10,500 years ago, by all accounts. Of course, we Inuit were never consulted about when we came to North America. I have met people from the Aleutian Islands who have stories about a great migration of people, presumably through the Aleutian Islands. That would make us ancient relatives of the Japanese and, possibly, Mongolians. If we studied Inuit dialects we might find how the Inuit spread out across the north. Places where Inuit speak the most ancient dialect would presumably have been there the longest; Inuit who speak the most modern dialect would have been there for the shortest amount of time assuming that the oldest form of the language is the most staple. Food for thought.

            Places named by Inuit have always been named according to their character. Hence, Tariuq means sea or ocean (tariuq means salt). Umiaqtalik means “It has a boat.” That is where the Erebus, one of Franklin’s boats, was found. It would be interesting to study where Inuit have been by studying the place names because, if a place has an Inuktitut name, it was named by Inuit.

Arvaarluk (Michael Kusugak)

Inuktitut Grammar

Inuktitut has not been studied much. Most studies of the language are translations of whole phrases, clauses, and sentences designed to teach spoken Inuktitut. These phrases, clauses, and sentences are not broken down into separate words. Words are not put together to make sentences and studied in terms of grammar.

Simple sentences like ANGUTAUJUNGA are not broken down into separate words, BOY A IS-IT  ME (yes, English is backward). And in Inuktitut anguti is boy, u (pronounced oo) is a, juq is “it is” and nga is me. It is difficult to translate word for word because Inuktitut does not use pronouns. That means juq (ju in the sentence) is a generic form meaning he, she, or it.  So, written in English, the sentence would read, I am it, a boy. I know that is a bit convoluted but it becomes clearer as you study the language.

I learned E In English, you talk about first person (me, I, etc.), second person (you) or third person (it). And you always consider me, you, it, the order of importance. I am the most important, you are second in importance and it is the least important. In Inuktitut, that , too , is reversed; the order of importance is it, you, me.

English grammar by translating examples into Inuktitut and trying to understand them. If they made sense in Inuktitut, they usually made sense in English. When I was teaching Inuktitut, I applied the same principle in reverse, translate Inuktitut into English to see how Inuktitut grammar works.

Inuktitut structure is the same as English structure except that it is the reverse. Take ARVAARLUUJUNGA and translate it into English it becomes I am Arvaarluk or, more word-for-word, Arvaarluk am it me. We speak like Yoda.

It does not always follow that principle, though. KINAUVIT translates to WHO ARE YOU? Kina is who, u, as we have said before is are, and vit is you. So it would translate to, “Who are you.”

Having no pronouns, HE, SHE, IT, the language becomes very politically correct. It does not give you a male/female, neutral gender differentiation. That is unless you are talking about your brother or boy cousin (if you are a girl) and your sister or girl cousin (if you are a boy) or your father or mother or grandmother or grandfather.

There are two words that have been discussed more than any others, TUQ AND PUQ. What is the difference between TIKITTUQ AND TIKIPPUQ? They both mean the same thing, He/she/it arrives. So, when do you use one and when the other. We, who have been speaking the language all our lives instinctively know when to use one and when to use the other. After many years of grappling with that, a lightbulb finally went on in my mind. The difference is the difference between a phrase and a clause. So, TIKITTUQ is a clause; it is a complete sentence by itself. Whereas TIKIPPUQ is a phrase, it wants something. It wants a company like TIKIPPUQ WINNIPEGMUT. He/she/it arrived in Winnipeg.

Written by Michael Kusugak

Nangminiiqtunik tusaq&uni aktuqtaunnarmat uvaptinnuluktaaq. Tamanna katutilugu piliriarinasulaurlavuttuq.

Taipsumani tauvakkunanngat tariurjuap akianirmiunit tikitaugapta inuusiqput asijjiqpallialirmat. Qablunaujaqpallialiq&uta, ilinniaqtittijiqaliq&uta, tuksiarviqaliq&uta, aanniaviqaliq&uta, niuvirviqaliq&uta sunaluktaaqaliq&utqa. Piqqusiqput qimakpallialiq&utigut.

Kisianili isumapkut qimailuaqquulirapta. Tamakkua ilinniaqtittijivut nutaqqaptinnik aqajjaanngittut. Iksirarjuavut, ajuqiqtuijivut makkuktuqutiptinnik unniqsiurutiqajjaanngittut, uvapptitut angajuqqaangujutitut nagligusujjaanngittut. Tagvali angajuqqaangujutigut piqqusituqaptinnut utirjuumijariaqaqquulirapta. Tamakkua nutaqqavut irnngutaqput nagligijavut takutikkanniriarlugit naglingniptinnik.                                 

Tagva angajuqqaangujusi, ataattiangujusi, anaanattiangujusi, ittuujusi, ningiungujusi ilungiqtuq&unga uqautinasuaqpapsi. Nutaqqavut, surusiutivut, irngutaqput aqarjuumiqattalaurlaqput, nagligilugit, sarimagilugit, iqillugit, kuniksarlugit, nagligijaungmata qaujitigialaurlaqput.

Aqaq

Aqaqpaktutuqaugapta nagligijaptinnik, inuutuarmata tiguplugit qaqatigiaq&ugit:

            Atii, putujannaaq, naglingnaaq

            Piuluattutinnaaq, ajunngiluattuutinnaaq...

Taimannaruluujaq aqaq&ugit, inngiutiplugit tukiqaluanngittuugaluanik quviasuktittumatuinaqlugit nagligigaptigut, tagva qiggiqtaq&utik qaqaliqput. Piruqpallianiluktaanginnik takutuaraangaptigut aqaliq&ugit. Angiliqpalliajut kannguttilauqpakkaluaq&utik nagligijaugamik qaujimavut.

Uvagulluunniit tagva innauliraluaq&uta suli aqaqtauvaktugut innatuqaptinnit nagligijaugapta. Taikkualu aqaqtigivalauqtavut pitaqarunniirmata uggurnaqsivut nipiqarunniirmata tusarniqtunik.

Unniqsiuq

Tamakkua makkuktuutivut sunatuinnanik quvianaqtunik pijaraangata unniqsiuqpaktutuqaugapta. Irnikka taima tuktuttariurmata niqilutaaq taqqakkununga agjaq&ugu ningiuptinnut, ittunut. kituruluugarnut. Taimali tunijautuarapta unniqsiuliq&uta, “Ingnakuluk irngutakuluga niqialungmik qaittiqqaungmat! Ajunngittukuluk. Angusuqtuuniaqtukuluk tukkuqtukuluugami.”

Taimanna makkuktuqutiptinnik sarimasuktittivalauqpugut. Ammalu suuqai tukkuqujivalaurapta tamanna piqqusituqarigaptigut.

Naglingniq

Tamakkua qiturngavut, irngutaqput nagligigaptigut qaujitigiarguumivalaurlavut uqautijjuumiqattalarlaqput. Taimannatuinnarluunniit uvaptinnit anigiaraangata, “Nagligivagit.” Taimannatuarluunnit uqautiarjukpaglugit qaujimaniarmata nagligijaugamik.

Uqaujjuiniq

Uqaujjurjuumiqattalaurlavuttuq makkuktuutivut. Uqalluriksarunnailligapta qanuruluujaq tuaviluamut. Uvagulli iglumiippalauqtutigut qarmarmiippalauqtutigut atausikulungmi iglurusirmiippalaurapta kituluktaat uqallaktut tusaaplutigut, uqaujjauvakkaluaq&uta innait uqallaktillugit naalaqujaunngi&&uta. Maanna uimajaaqtualuutuinnaulirapta inuuqativut uqalluriksautijunnailiplutigut, makkuktuutivut uqaujjurunnailliplutigut. Uqaujjuqtaupluni ilittivalliannarmat, tukisipluni isumaksaqsiurnarmat, isumaksaqsiuq&uni tuttiaqtuujarnarmat. Tukiqaqtunik titiraliraluaqpungaa? Uqaujjaujjuumijaaqpaglanga.

Unikkautiniq

Taipsumani unikkaaqtuarujjauvaurapta unikkaaqtuat taikkua ilinniarusirivalauraptigut inuusirmik, piqatigiittiarnirmik, ikajurutijariaqarnirmik, tukkuriaqarnirmik, tamakkuningalu ajurutiqaqtunik ikajuriaqarnirmik, pittiarutijariaqarnirmik, inuuqatigiittiariaqarnirmik. Tamakkuali makkuktuutivut unikkaaqtuarutivaluaqpitiguut? Naugli Kiviuq taimna ilinniaqtittijiviniqput? Naugli Kaugjagjuk taimna pisitialuk, sanngijurjuaq? Naugli taikkua inukpasugjuit? Naugli inugarulligaarjuit? Naugli taikkua taqqinnguqtuviniit, siqinnguqtuviniit? Nagli Ullaktut? Iqqaumarlakkaluaramalu Nanualugjuarmik, tamakkua unikkaaqtuarusiviniqput asiuvallialirmata. Asiummarikpataqai Kiviup uummataa ujaranngurluktaarluni nuqqarumaarmat silairutilunilu. Tamakkua ilinniarvingmituinnaq unikkausiujariaqanngikkaluarmata.

Sukulauqpaglugit/ sualauqpaglugit

Sukuuqtauvalraptali suaktaulauqpak&uta, aaniqtiqtaunngikkaluaq&uta inuutiaqujautuinnaq&uta. Tamakkua nutaqqavut, irngutaqput pittianngittaraangata sukujjuumiqattalauriaqaraptigut inuuttiaquplugit. Taikkua suaktigivalauqtakka sukuuqtigivalauqtakka quviagivakpakka ublumi. Sukuuqtauvalaunngikkuma, suaktauvalaunngikkuma naniilirajaqpungalikiaq anullaksirvingmiqai, suurlu makkungniptinni aaqqiksuilauqtut inuusiksamnik. Tamakkualu ilaginngitaraluaqput makkuktut naammanngitunik pijaraangata sukuvaglugit.

Ilinniaqti

Uvagut innaqtigut tamakkua makkuktuutivut ilinniaqtippalliajariaqaraluarapta, Inuuninginnik qaujitigiarlugit, piqqusiptinnik qaujitigiarlugit. Nutaraupluta ilinniaqtitauvalauqtugut qamusiurnirmik, igluliurnirmik, panaliurnirmik qanuruluujaq atugaksaptinnik ilaak takpaani ukiuqtaqtumi ikkiirnaqsittainnarniarmat uqquunaqsivallianiraqtaugaluarluni ukiuqtainnarniarmat. ukiurmut parnangnirmik, uquqtunik annuraaliurnirmik tamakkuninga sunaruluujarnik atuqpaktatuqaptinnik ilinniaqtittariaqaraptigut makkuktuutivut.

Tiliuq

Uplumi makkuktuutivut upaluanngitukuluulirmata. Tiliurjuumiqattalaurlaqput upaluajjuumiqattaqulugit. Tamapta innaujutigullu makkuktullu inuuqatigiittiarupta quviasungniqsauniarapta. Quviagiguptigut quviaginiarmatiguttauq. Uplumi ilaanni makkuktuqutivut asaluaqtuujaqattaliraptigut.

Sarimagi

Kituluktaat inuuqativut quviagijaptinnik atuqtut sarimagivakkaptigut. Quviagituinnanngillugit uqautijjuumiqattalaurlaqput, “Uang una sarimanaq!” Sarimagijaupluni tusaq&ni quvianarmat.

Tusaalugit/naalaglugit

Nutaqqavullu uqallaktillugit tusaattiarasuqattalaurlaqput, naalattiarasuqattalaurlaqput. Anuruluujaq uqarasukkaluaq&ni tusaajaunngi&&uni, naalaktaunngi&&uni quviananngimmat, isumannarmat, “Tagva tusaqtaujjaanngimmijunga, naalaktaujjaanngimmijunga.” Uqarasukkaluaq&uni tusaqtaujjaanani quviananngimmat. Tusaamasugjuumiqattalaurlaqput, naalagjuumiqattalaurlaqput makkuktuutivut.

Ujjiqtuttiaqattarlugit

Ujjiqturjuumigiaqattaqulugit makkuktuutivut nutaqqavut, irngutaqput, qangiaqput, ujuruvut asingillu tamakkua inuusuktut, taimanna uvagut uqaujjauvalaurapta.

Piqqusituqaptinnik ilinniaqtiqattarlugit

Piqqusituqaqput atuutiqammaringmata ublumi suli. Niqivut pilugit. Taikkua tamaunga tikiqqaaqpalauqtut niqiptinnik nirinianngimu aannialiqpalaurmata, Kigutingit katagaliq&utik siiqqungit puvililuamut pisugunnailliplutit, paarnguumaliq&utik tuquraliq&utik Inuilli qanuitinnagit. Sunauvvainna niqiluktaaminnik igaqattamut, mikigaqturnianngimut. Asinginniglu. Qanuq iglulivakpita? Nani igluliniq piulaangunajaqpa? Tamakkuaruluujait qaujimajatuqaqput makkuktuutiptinnut ilitaujariaqaqtut. Silatujurlaugaluarapta piusugilaarniannginnirmut qaujimajavut uqausirianigunnannginnaptigut. Makkuktuutiptinnut uqausiriqattalaurlavut.

Atituqanginnik unikkautivaglugit

Kinauvit? Arvaarluugama, atirilauqtara Nuqallaaluulauqtuq iqqaumaqatarapku uqautilauqsimangmanga, “Uvangaugavit anijaaqattarit, sila qanuinniarninga qaujimagungni ubluqattiarniaravit.” Anijaarasukpakpunga suli. Taimnalu atialugilauqtara sarimagiblugu, Igluligaarjungmuatainnaraangama iluvia takujaqturasukpaktara suli. Tamakkuattauq makkuktuutivut unikkautigiaqattalaurlaqput kinamik atiqarmangaata, inuttaunirminik qaujigutik sarimasugjuumiqattarniarmata taikkua atirilauqtani inuusinginnik maligasuglutik inuuttiarniarmata.

Ilaqarnirmik qaujimatigiarlugit

Taikkua ilatuqakka puiguqpalliagapkit ugquaqpakpunga, ataatagilauqtarma ilaak ilagilauqtangit. Qaujimatigiaqattarlugit kitunnik ilaqarmangaata tamakkua makkuktut. Quvianaqattaqpuq ilitarijaubluni uqaujjauplunilu qanuq ilagiingmangaapta. Uqaqattaraluaramaluunniit, “Kusugaunngikkaluaqtunga, Kusugarli ataatagilauqtara, uvangali Arvaarluugaluaqtung.” Taipsumani 1960tiit pigialisaaqtillugit atiksaptinnik niruaqujaulaurapta uvagulli ataatama atianik niruarapta Kusugsainnaaluulilaurapta anaanagalu, Kukiulauqtuugaluaq, nukaralu Amaujaulauqtuugalua, nangminirli atiqaulauraluarapta. Michael Kusugaugaluaqtunga suli apirijaujaraangama, “Kinauvit?” “Arvaarluulavakpunga.

Inutuqarnik takujaqtuquqattarlugit

Anaanattiaptinnik ataatattiaptinnik ningiurnik itturnik takujaqtuiqujaunginaqpalaurapta namut tikituaraangapta. Ublumili tuaviqtualutuinnaujaalirapta. Tamanna takujaqtuiqujauqattalaurniqput puiguumajaalutuinnariliraptigut. Uqautijjuumiqattalaurlavuttuq makkuktut innatuqarnik takujaqtuiquqattarlugit, innatuqait takujaraangamik makkuktunik quviasuqattarmata isumagijaunirminiglu. Tamanna inuuqatigiittiarnirmut tukiqammaringmat.

Quviasuqattarit

Uvangali aullarajulaurama ilinniariaq&unga, aullariatuaraangama anaanama uqautiinaqpalaurmanga, “Quviasuqattarit.” Tamanna suli quviananngittuqaliraangat iqqaqpaktara, suurlu uqaqtuq, “Quviasuinnaalungniq ajurnarmat, quviananngittualungnik isumainnaq&luni inuuttiarunniirnarmat, quvianaqtuq tagvaukpat tigulugu sakkuttaililaupillaqattarlugu.”

Tamakkua maliluktaanginnanngitaraluakka titiraqpakka nangminiiqattaqtut inuuttiarniqsaugutit, uvagullu inuuttiarniqsaugupta nangminiirajuluannginniqsaulirajaraluarmangaata isumagiplugit. Atuutiqarajarniqpata amisuuliqtitautittunnaqtakka, innaluktaanut qiturngaqaqtunut irngutaqaqtunut iluliqaqtunut tuniqqutaujunnarniqpata ikajuutiqaquplugit makkuktuutivut naglingnarmata pimatuttiarumannarmata inuuttiaqunnarmata.

Quviasuqattaritti,

Arvaarluk

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