Inuinnaqtun (; natively meaning ''like the real human beings/peoples''), is an indigenous
Inuit language. It is spoken in the central Canadian
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada ( Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm ( Greenland), Finland, Iceland ...
. It is related very closely to
Inuktitut
Inuktitut (; , syllabics ; from , "person" + , "like", "in the manner of"), also Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, is one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the tree line, including parts of the provinces o ...
, and some scholars, such as
Richard Condon, believe that Inuinnaqtun is more appropriately classified as a dialect of Inuktitut. The government of
Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the '' Nunavut Act'' and the '' Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act'' ...
recognises Inuinnaqtun as an official language in addition to Inuktitut, and together sometimes referred to as Inuktut.
[''Official Languages Act'', S.Nu. 2008, c. 10](_blank)
s. 3(1) wit
s. 1(2). It is also spoken in the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
and is also recognised as an official language in addition to
Inuvialuktun and Inuktitut.
[''Official Languages Act'', RSNWT 1988, c. O-1](_blank)
s. 4 in its 2003 version; PWNHC:
Official Languages of the Northwest Territories
'
Inuinnaqtun is used primarily in the communities of
Cambridge Bay,
Kugluktuk
Kugluktuk (, ; Inuktitut syllabics: ; ), formerly known as Coppermine until 1 January 1996, is a hamlet located at the mouth of the Coppermine River in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut, Canada, on Coronation Gulf, southwest of Victoria Islan ...
and
Gjoa Haven
Gjoa Haven (; Inuktitut: Uqsuqtuuq, syllabics: ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑑᖅ , meaning "lots of fat", referring to the abundance of sea mammals in the nearby waters; or ʒɔa evən is an Inuit hamlet in Nunavut, above the Arctic Circle, located in the ...
in the
Kitikmeot Region
Kitikmeot Region (; Inuktitut: ''Qitirmiut'' ) is an administrative region of Nunavut, Canada. It consists of the southern and eastern parts of Victoria Island with the adjacent part of the mainland as far as the Boothia Peninsula, together w ...
of Nunavut. Outside Nunavut, it is spoken in the hamlet of
Ulukhaktok, where it is also known as ''
Kangiryuarmiutun'', forming a part of Inuvialuktun. It is written using the
Roman orthography[ CBC Original Voices: ]
Inuinnaqtun
' except in Gjoa Haven, where
Inuit syllabics are used (as for
Natsilingmiutut).
Inuinnaqtun phrases
See also
*
Natsilingmiutut
*
Utkuhiksalik
Utkuhiksalik, Utkuhikhalik, Utkuhikhaliq, Utkuhiksalingmiutitut, Utkuhiksalingmiutut,Briggs, J. L. (1970), Never in anger. Portrait of an Eskimo family. Harvard University Press. Utkuhiksalingmiut Inuktitut, Utku,, Gjoa Haven dialect, is a sub-di ...
References
Further reading
* Harnum, Betty; McGrath, Janet; Kadlun, Margo. ''Inuinnaqtun Lessons Phase 1 : Copper Dialect of the Inuit Language''. Cambridge Bay, N.W.T.: Kitikmeot Inuit Association, 1982.
* Harper, Kenn. ''Current Status of Writing Systems for Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and Inuvialuktun''.
ellowknife, N.W.T. Northwest Territories, Culture and Communications, 1992.
* Ohokak, Gwen; Kadlun, Margo; Harnum, Betty. ''Inuinnaqtun-English Dictionary''. Cambridge Bay, Nunavut: Nunavut Arctic College, 1996.
External links
Let's Speak Inuinnaqtun* Inuktut Lexicon Atlas
*
ttp://en.copian.ca/library/learning/nac/nac_dictionary/nac_dictionary.pdf Inuinnaqtun-English Dictionary (1996)Tuhaalanga: Learn Inuinnaqtun On-lineAnglican liturgical text in Inuinnaqtun
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inuinnaqtun
Agglutinative languages
Inuvialuit languages
Indigenous languages of the North American Arctic
Copper Inuit
Inuktitut words and phrases