Dialogue: Where is she?
Tom:
Joanna suli aulasimajon?Joanna suli aulasimajon? Is Joanna still out of town?
Ida:
Â, Goose Bay-mejuk.Âh, Goose Bay-mejuk. Yes, she is in Goose Bay.
Tom:
Aippangalittauk, Goose Bay-mejon? Aippangalittauk, Goose Bay-mejon?And her husband, Is he in Goose Bay?
Ida:
Auka, aippanga Rigoletimejuk.Auka, aippanga Rigoletimejuk. No, her husband is in Rigolet.
Tom:
Kanga Joanna utigasuajon?Kanga Joanna utigasuajon? When will Joanna return?
Ida:
Âtsuk, Goose Bay-lialauttuk ânniasiupviliatluni.Âtsuk, Goose Bay-lialauttuk ânniasiupviliatlun. I don't know, she went to Goose Bay for a medical appointment.
Vocabulary
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imappik
sea
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kangitluk
bay
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sitjak
seashore
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nunaup nuvunga
point of land
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Kikkittak
island
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kangitluk
inlet; fiord
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tasik
lake
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kokuluk
creek
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kok
river
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Kullutuk
waterfall
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nunak
land
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KakKasuat
mountains
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KakKak
hill
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Iqaluit
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Grammar
23 » in, to, from
In the last grammar note, we looked at these three noun endings
| -mi | at / in |
| kanatami | in Canada |
| -mit | from |
| kanatamit | from Canada |
| -mut | to |
| kanatamut | to Canada |
These three endings all change a -k or -t sound that comes before them to -m:
| Nunavtsiavut | |
| Nunatsiavummi | in Nunatsiavut |
| kok | river |
| kommut | to the river |
| nuvuk | point of land |
| nuvummit | from the point of land |
Remember that this change does not happen after a double consonat sound:
| sitjak | seashore |
| sitjami | from the seashore |
These three endings have a plural form: -ni, -nut, & -nit
| tupik | tent |
| tupimmi | in the tent |
| tupinni | in the tents |
| tasik | lake |
| tasimmit | from the lakes |
| tasinnit | from the lakes |
| KakKasuak | mountain |
| KakKasuammut | to the mountain |
| KakKasuanut | to the mountains |
We can use these endings when answering the following questions:
| naneven? | Where are you? |
| suliaKapvimi | at the office |
| namungaven? | Where are you going? |
| kommut | to the river |
| nakit? | from where? |
| tupinnit | from the tents |
Or in the context of a conversation, you might use one of these questions:
| nami? | where? |
| namut? | to where? |
24 » Names of Communities
In the tables below are examples of what the Inuttitut names of communities look like with affixes and endings added to them.
We will work with the following affixes and endings:
| -mi (noun ending) | in... |
| -me- (verb affix) | to be in... |
| -mut (noun ending) | to... |
| -mo- (verb afix) | to go to... |
| -liak- / -liat- (verb affix) | to go to... |
| -mit (noun ending) | from... |
Nain
| Nunainguk | Nain |
| Nunaingummi | in Nain |
| Nunaingummejok | He/she/it is in Nain. |
| Nunainguliattuk | He/she is going to Nain. |
Hopedale
| Apvitok | Hopedale |
| Apvitommut | to Hopedale |
| Apvitommovunga | I am going to Hopedale. |
| ApvitoliakKunga | I am going to Hopedale. |
Makkovik
| Maggovik | Makkovik |
| Maggovimmit | from Makkovik |
| Maggovimmit pivugut | We (3+) are coming from Makkovik. |
| MaggoviliakKugut | We (3+) are going to Makkovik. |
Postville
| KipukKak (law of double consonants applies) | Postville |
| KipukKami | in Postville |
| KipukKamejut | They are in Postville. |
| KipukKaliattut | They are going to Postville. |
Rigolet
| kikkiak (law of double consonants applies) | Rigolet |
| kikkiamut | to Rigolet |
| kikkiamovunga | I am coming from |
| kikkialiakKunga | I am going to Rigolet |
25 » Going somewhere to do something
The handy affix -giattu- is used to talk about going somewhere for a specific purpose:
| katima- | to meet |
| katimagiattuvugut | We (3+) are going somewhere to meet; We are going to a meeting. |
| ilinniak- | to learn |
| ilinniagiattujuk | She is going to school (literally, she is going somewhere to learn). |
| sâlakkumauti- | to compete in a sport |
| Nunaingummut sâlakkumautigiattuvunga | I am going to Nain to compete. |