Row, row, row your kayak...
Did you know that this word, "kayak", actually comes from Inuktitut? Or, to be even more precise, from its Inuvialuktun dialect: ᖃᔭᖅ (qayaq, "hunter's boat")?
Just like many other languages, Inuktitut has several dialects that vary by geographic region. The Inuktut language family spans from Alaska in the west to Greenland in the east and down south along the coast of Labrador. Depending where you're travelling to, there can be different ways of communicating the same idea, even such a simple one as to say "hello" or "thank you".
Atelihai (ahh-tee-lee-hi) is the Inuktitut word for "hello" or "welcome." Although, I have also read articles saying that historically there was no direct translation for "hello" in Inuktitut. It's more common to greet people according to the time of day:
- ᐅᓪᓛᒃᑯᑦ: Ullaakkut (oohl-luh-koot) —"Good morning"
- ᐅᓐᓄᓴᒃᑯᑦ: Unnusakkut (ooh-noo–suk-koot) — "Good afternoon"
- ᐅᓐᓄᒃᑯᑦ: Unnukkut (oon-nook-koot) — "Good evening"
But you also can see people use words like ᓴᓗ — halu (huh-loo), ᐊᐃᓐᖓᐃ — ainngai (uh-in-guh-ee), or even a simple ᐊᐃ — ai (uh-ee).
Non-verbal communication is an important part of the language, so another option is to smile and raise your eyebrows as a silent way of saying hello. Another common for the Inuit to reply to a question is by raising their eyebrows as in agreement ("yes") or by scrunching their nose and forehead ("no").
One of the most common phrases visitors want to learn is "Thank you!" It is best to thank someone in the dialect they speak. So consider this:
- nakurmiik (nuh-koor-meek) — South Qikiqtaaluk dialect, in southern Baffin Island (including Kinngait).
- nakummek (nuh-koom-meek) — Nunatsiavummiutut dialect, in northern Labrador (including Nain).
- qujanaq (koo-ya-nuk) — Kalaallisut (Greenlandic): in southwestern Greenland (including Ilulissat).
- quana (kwuh-nuh) — Inuinnaqtun dialect, in western Nunavut (including Kugluktuk).
- qujannamiik (koo-yan-nuh-meek) — North Qikiqtaaluk dialect, in northern Baffin Island (including Mittimatalik).
Other important and great phrases? Check out this short video (01:12):
Remember, in the previous Episode, we talked about chunks that make up words in Inuktitut? They can be placed basically into one of three categories: roots, affixes and grammatical endings. Considering there are more than 200 affixes, if not more, and lots of grammatical endings, the number of combinations you can put them together even just with one root is virtually endless. So, while Inuktut dictionaries can capture the most common words in the language, they cannot list every word an Inuktitut speaker can produce!
That peculiarity of Inuktitut can help you fully understand why that mind-blowing "fact" saying the Inuit have dozens (some articles even claim as many as 50+) of words to refer to snow and ice is, quite frankly, inaccurate (sorry to disappoint, folks). Add to that all the various dialects of the language spreaded across the Inuit population, and you are now on the right path to the real situation with the words "snow" and "ice" in Inuktitut. To bring this point home I share below an excerpt from The Canadian Encyclopedia on the matter (full article here):
"In Nunavik, for instance, it is possible to call "maujaq" the snow in which one sinks. This is a general term that refers to any type of soft ground (mud, wetland, quicksand) but which, in winter, can only apply to a soft snow cover where the foot sinks. In the same way, the word illusaq ("what can become a house") refers to any construction material (wood, stone, brick, etc.), but when an igloo is built, it applies precisely to snow that is rigid and maneuverable enough for erecting a semi-spherical house made of snow blocks."
So you see how Inuktitut works differently than, say, English. In all fairness, though, the language does have a broader vocabulary array when it comes to snow, or, as TCE notes, "no matter the type of term it uses to refer to a particular type of snow or ice, Inuktitut has a far superior ability to distinguish between them than most languages."
Ok, Inuktitut really challenges the mind, so why don't we take a breather while listening on the "breaking news" segment about Inuktitut going viral and to its truly melodic sound (01:14):
Out of all the languages I've encountered during this whole Langventure journey, Inuktitut is the one that was the hardest to track down — every piece of information, every link had to be diligently searched for. So I decided to do something I have not ever done in my Langventure journey and to dedicate this particular Episode not only to the traditional fun part, where we learn new words of a certain language and play with them, but also to the online resources out there that might help the learners of this otherworldly language — as if I'm leaving little red flags for you to follow amidst the vast white spaces that Inuktitut is for you at the moment.
So here is the list of online resource on Inuktitut I've stumbled upon on my Langventure:
- Inuktut Tusaalanga — my absolutely favorite site with a dictionary, pronunciation, syllabics, grammar lessons, and dialogues!
- Inuktitube — centralized Inuktitut video content where you can find videos, music, documentaries, and much more.
- Let's Speak Inuktitut — audio project on Soundcloud with a big list of Inuktitut phrases and words written in Roman letters and pronounced by a native speaker.
- Inhabit Media — this particular page is good for beginners as it has a short list of Inuktitut words spelled in Roman letters and with stresses already marked, so it's easier to learn.
- Inuktitut Grammar book — that I found quite friendly and useful, and you can download it!
BONUS: on the same page you can also download a book of Inuktitut affixes with examples! - The Uqailaut Project — the Inuktitut database of roots and affixes for advanced students, and, what's important, with spellings in Inuktitut. Plus, it has a dictionary with examples of usage.
- EXTRA RESOURCES: on this page there is a list of extra resources that can help make your own learning journey in Inuktitut easier and more fun.
As I come to the end of this Episode thinking of the marvelous Inuktitut language with its curious signs, a line from one of the articles about the language that I read keeps coming back: "the signs of which it is composed, when laid down on paper, are reminiscent of the footprints left by animals in the snow" — which appealed to the Inuit and explains such a rapid spread of this particular writing system amongst them. But it also represents, at least to me, the real nature of the language nurtured by the cold, forests, wilderness. You follow those footprints, one after another, and along the way you get that feeling that, as much as the result, the journey matters, too.
Same way I see Langventure, that is now has reached its final stop: as footprints in the vast unknown to follow, to track with attention; as a journey driven by curiosity and need, hard at times but also fun; as an experience you share with others and a daring expedition you attempt, losing the sight of the area you know to discover something new in an honest desire to learn and grow. And with a spark of that burning desire I now leave you here to pursue your own
Langventure!
ᐊᔪᙱᒋᐊᕐᓗᑎᑦ! (Uh-youn-gigi-ar-loo-tit!) Good luck!
"Nalligivagit (I love you), Langventure!"
Discover more about Inuktitut and other languages at langventure.mystrikingly.com!
