Grammar » 14 » To Have

If you want to talk about having something in your possession, you add the affix -Ka- directly to the end of a noun:

ulu + Ka + ven? =  
uluKaven? Do you have an ulu?
ulu + Ka + vunga =  
uluKavunga I have an ulu.

-Ka- deletes a final -k sound that comes before it:

Kagitaujak + Ka + vâ =  
KagitaujaKavâ? Does he/she have a computer?
   
Kagitaujak + Ka + ngi + tuk  
KagitaujaKangituk He/she doesn’t have a computer.
   
titigautik + Ka + vutit =  
titigautiKavutit You have a pen.
   
uKâlautik + Ka + jon? =  
uKâlautiKajon? Do they have a phone?

 

THE ENDING -LIK

If you want to say, 'he/she has something,' Nunatsiavummiutitut speakers avoid the construction Ka + vuk, and use the affix -lik instead:

titigutiKavâ ? Does he/she have a pen?
Âa, titigutilik. Yes, he/she has a pen.

The affix -lik deletes a final -k sound that comes before it: 

atuagak + lik  
atuagalik He/she has a book.

Note, too, that -lik is not used to make a negative sentence; the construction Ka + ngi + tuk is used instead:

Auka, atuagaKangituk. No, he/she does not have a book.
Auka, titigutiKangituk. No, he/she does not have pen.