Dialogue: What are you doing?
Vocabulary
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sulikKen?
What are you doing?
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suniakKen?
What will you be doing (later today)?
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sukKauven ullumigiak?
What did you do earlier today?
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sulaukKen?
What did you do? (yesterday or further in the past)
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sulâkKen?
What will you be doing? (tomorrow or father in the future)
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Sulâtton Kauppat?
What is she doing tomorrow?
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mânna
now
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ullumi
today
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Kauppat
tomorrow
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ippasak
yesterday
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ullâk
morning
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Kitigaligeppat
afternoon
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unnusak
evening
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unnuak
night
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igajuk
cooks (he/she...)
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oganniagiattuk
fishing (she goes...)
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ililittuk
learns (he/she...)
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atuatsijuk
reads (he/she...)
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mitsujuk
sews (he/she...)
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niuvinniagiajuk
shopping (he/she goes...)
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suliaKaKattajuk
working (he/she is...)
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umiattutuk
boating (he/she is...)
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tetuliujuk
makes tea (he/she...)
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kâfittujuk
drinks coffee (he/she...)
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Kikattuk
vacation; holidays (she is on...)
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aullaniattuk
depart, he/she will... (later today)
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aullalâttuk
depart, he/she will.... (tomorrow or later)
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aullaKaujuk
departed, he/she...(earlier today)
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aullalauttuk
departed, he/she... (yesterday or earlier)
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Grammar
7 » Future Tense
To talk about actions or events that will be happening in the future, affixes are inserted between the verb root that describes the action and the verb ending. The affix that is used depends on how far into the future the verb will take place:
The Immediate Future
To talk about event that will happen later the same day, insert the affix -niak- between the verb root and the ending:
| suvit? | What are you doing? |
| suniakKen? | What will you be doing later? |
| nigivunga | I am eating. |
| niginiakKunga. | I will be eating. |
Notice how the verb endilngs for both statements start with -K :
| nigiven? | Are you eating? |
| niginiakKen? | Will you be eating? |
| nigivunga | I am eating. |
| niginiakKunga | I will be eating. |
| aullavitek? | Are you (2) departing? |
| aullaniakKitek? | Will you (2) be departing? |
| kâfittuvugut | We (3+) are drinking coffee. |
| kâfittuniakKugut | We (3+) will be drinking coffee. |
The above pattern is followed when the person we are talking about is I, we or you. When we are talking about he, she, it or they, normally -niak- changes to -niat- and the verb ending starts with -t :
| Ullumi tikiniattuk. | She will arrive today. |
| Unnusak aullaniattut. | They (3+) will depart this afternoon. |
Events farther in the Future
-lâk- is an affix used for events that will be happening the next day or further into the future. Compare the following pairs of words:
| aullaniakKunga | I am departing later today. |
| aullalâkKunga | I will be departing (tomorrow or later). |
| suliaKaniakKugut | We will be working (later the same day). |
| suliaKalâkKugut | We will be working (tomorrow or later). |
| umiatulâttuk | He will be boating. |
| ilinnialâttut | They will be studying. |
8 » Past Tense
-kKau- is an affix that is used to describe actions that have happened earlier in the day.
| sukKauven? | What did you do earlier today? |
| nigikKauvunga | I ate earlier. |
| uKâlakKaujuk | She called earlier today. |
-kKau- ishortens to -Kau.when it follows a double consonant.
| aulla + Kau + juk = | |
| aullaKaujuk | He/she departed earlier today. |
| angigga + Kau + vunga = | |
| angiggaKauvunga | I went home earlier today. |
-lauk- is an affix used to describe actions that have happened yesterday or father in the past.
| ippasak sulaukKen? | What did you do yesterday? |
| tuttusiugialaukKunga | I went caribou hunting. |
The -k in -lauk- changes to a -t before the verb ending -tuk :
| ippasak aullalauttuk | She departed yesterday. |
| TakKiulauttumi Kikalauttuk | Last month she went on holidays. |