In English we have words that we put before nouns to indicate who they belong to:
| my jacket | your parka |
In Inuktut, we add an affix to the end of the noun. The above would be translated:
| jaikaga | Kulitaujait |
The same endings can be used for possessions or relations:
| atâtaga | my father |
| innet | your son |
| anânavut | our (3+) mother |
Different endings are used depending on whether the relation or the thing that is possessed is singular, dual or plural. In this lesson we will look at the singular endings. For the dual and plural possessive endings, click here.
ONE POSSESSION OR RELATION
| illuk | house |
| illuga | my house |
| illuit | your (1) house |
| illunga | his / her house |
| illuvuk | our (2) house |
| illuvut | our (3+) house |
| illusi | your (2+) house |
| illungat | their house |
Note that all of the possessive endings delete the final -k of a noun.
For the Inuktut equivalent of your just add -t (instead of -it) to roots that have a long vowel or a double vowel at the end:
| tuik | shoulder |
| tuit | your shoulder |
| annugâk | clothing |
| annugât | your clothing |
| tatsiak | belt |
| tatsiat | your belt |
TWO POSSESSIONS OR RELATIONS
| nukâk | two younger brothers of a boy or younger sisters of a girl |
| nukâkka | my two younger siblings (of the same sex) |
| nukâkkik | your (1) two younger siblings (of the same sex) |
| nukâgik | his or her two two younger siblings (of the same sex) |
| nukavuk | our two younger siblings (of the same sex) |
| nukatik | your (2+) two younger siblings (of the same sex) |
| nukagik | their two younger siblings (of the same sex) |
- The last vowel sound of the root is lengthened before the endings -kkak and -kkik.
- All dual endings delete the last consonant sound of the root to which they are added.
- The endings for “his / her” and “their” are the same. Context makes it clear who you are speaking of.
3+ POSSESSIONS OR RELATIONS
| panik | daughter |
| panikka | my daughters (3+) |
| panitit | your (1) daughters (3+) |
| paningit | his or her daughters (3+) |
| panivut | our daughters (3+) |
| panisi | your (2) daughters (3+) |
| paningit | their daughters (3+) |
- All plural possessive endings delete the last consonant of roots they are added to.
- The endings for “her/his” and “their” are the same. Context makes it clear who you are speaking of.
NAMING THE PERSON WHO POSSESSES SOMETHING
In English, when we want to name a person that something belongs to, we add an apostrophe + s to the person's name, followed by the object:
| Mary's hat | Peter's dog |
In Inuktut, these three sentences would be written this way:
| Mialiup nasanga | Petaup Kimminga |
Note that the affix -up is attached to the possessor's name, much like apostrophe + s is used in English.
- the affix -nga is added to the person or thing that is possessed if it is singular; -gik if it is dual; and -ngit if it is plural.
| annaup nasanga | the woman's hat |
| angutiup pualogik | the man's mittens (2) |
| Petaup Kimmingit | Peter’s dogs (3+) |