23 fonnik

Dialogue: On the phone

Eli:
Sara tamâne? Sara tamâne?Is Sara there?
Sybilla:
Auka, anigalâkKaujuk.Auka, anigalâkKaujuk. No, she's stepped out for a little while.
Eli:
Qanga utiniatton?Kanga utiniatton? When will she be back?
Sybilla:
Âtsuk. Ilinnut uKâlakKujânÂtsuk. Ilinnut uKâlakKujân? I don't know. Do you want her to call you?
Eli:
Â. Â.Yes.
Sybilla:
Numurait sunauvâ? Numurait sunauvâ?What's your phone number?
Eli:
923-5555

 

Jâni:
Juliusi tamâne?Juliusi tamâne? Is Julius there?
Matilda:
Mânna aullasimajuk.Mânna aullasimajuk. He's out of town right now.
Jâni:
Utippat uvannut uKâlakKugajattân?Utippat uvannut uKâlakKugajattân? Can you have him call me when he gets back?
Matilda:
Ahailâ. kinaugaven?Ahailâ. kinaugaven? Sure. Can I get your name?
Jâni
Juliusiuvunga. Numuraga 922-1555.Juliusiuvunga. Numuraga 922-1555. This is Jaani. My number's 922-1555.

Vocabulary

fonnik
telephone
uKâlajuk
calls on the phone (he/she...)
uKâlapvigijaga
calling him (I am...)
uvanettuk
here (he/she is...)
tamânejon?
Is she / he there?
tamânengituk
She / he is not here.
anigalâttuk
stepped out for a moment (he/she...)
aullasimajuk
away; out of town (he is...)
FonniKuniakKagâ?
Do you want him to call you back?
uKâlapvigigumajân?
Do you want to speak to him?
nilliutilaullagu
Let me speak to him.
Numurait sunauvâ?
What's your phone number?
Nomaraga una 979-0000.
My phone number is 979-0000
kinauven?
Can I get your name?
e-mail (I will send him an...)
e-mail (by ... )

Grammar

46 » Calling or Writing to Someone

This lesson will look at the grammar you use to call or write someone:

fonnivigivâtit She is calling you.
allavigijanga He is writing to her.

To build these phrases:


1. Begin with the basic verb:

uKâlak- to call
allak- to write

 

2. Add the affix -vik. This is normally used to indicate a place. When it is added to uKâlak- or allak-, it means the person who is being called or written to.



3. Add the affix -gi. It will delete the final -k in -vik:

uKâlak + vik + gi = uKâlavigi-
allak + vik + gi = allavigi-



4. Add the transitive verb ending to indicate who is calling / writing and who is being called or written to:

uKâlapvigijân ? Are you calling her? 
uKâlapvigijaga I am calling her.
Ippasaq uKâlapvigilaukKaatit. She called you yesterday.
allavigijangâ ? Is he writing to her?
allavigijanga She is writing to him.

5. So, when we put all of the pieces together:

uKâla + vi + gi + jaga

We get, as a very literal translation: “I have him as the place I am calling” or, as we would say in English, “I am calling him.”