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Inuvialuktun (part of ''Western Canadian Inuit/Inuktitut/Inuktut/Inuktun'') comprises several Inuit languages, Inuit language varieties spoken in the northern Northwest Territories by Canadian Inuit who call themselves ''Inuvialuit''.Inuvialuktun Dialects
/ref> Some dialects and sub-dialects are also spoken in Nunavut.
/ref> and
Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuit of the Mackenzie River delta, Banks Island, part of Victoria Island (Canada), Victoria Island and the Arctic Ocean coast of the Northwest Territories – the lands of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. It was traditionally subsumed under a broader ''Inuktitut''. Rather than a coherent language, Inuvialuktun is a politically motivated grouping of three quite distinct and separate varieties. It consists of ''Siglitun, Sallirmiutun'' (formerly Siglitun; Inuvialuktun proper), the ''Kangiryuarmiutun'' dialect of Inuinnaqtun on Victoria Island (Canada), Victoria Island in the East and the ''Uummarmiutun'' dialect of Iñupiaq language, Iñupiaq around Inuvik and Aklavik in the West.
Inuvialuktun, Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut constitute three of the eleven official languages of the Northwest Territories. Inuinnaqtun is also official alongside Inuktitut in Nunavut.
The Inuvialuktun dialects are seriously Endangered language, endangered, as English has in recent years become the common language of the community. Surveys of Inuktitut usage in the NWT vary, but all agree that usage is not vigorous. According to Statistics Canada's 2016 Census 680 (22%) of the 3,110 Inuvialuit speak any form of Inuktitut, and 550 (18%) use it at home. Considering the large number of non-Inuit living in Inuvialuit areas and the lack of a single common dialect among the already reduced number of speakers, the future of the Inuit language in the NWT appears bleak.
/ref> Some dialects and sub-dialects are also spoken in Nunavut.
/ref> and
Distribution and varieties
Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuit of the Mackenzie River delta, Banks Island, part of Victoria Island (Canada), Victoria Island and the Arctic Ocean coast of the Northwest Territories – the lands of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. It was traditionally subsumed under a broader ''Inuktitut''. Rather than a coherent language, Inuvialuktun is a politically motivated grouping of three quite distinct and separate varieties. It consists of ''Siglitun, Sallirmiutun'' (formerly Siglitun; Inuvialuktun proper), the ''Kangiryuarmiutun'' dialect of Inuinnaqtun on Victoria Island (Canada), Victoria Island in the East and the ''Uummarmiutun'' dialect of Iñupiaq language, Iñupiaq around Inuvik and Aklavik in the West.
Inuvialuktun, Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut constitute three of the eleven official languages of the Northwest Territories. Inuinnaqtun is also official alongside Inuktitut in Nunavut.
The Inuvialuktun dialects are seriously Endangered language, endangered, as English has in recent years become the common language of the community. Surveys of Inuktitut usage in the NWT vary, but all agree that usage is not vigorous. According to Statistics Canada's 2016 Census 680 (22%) of the 3,110 Inuvialuit speak any form of Inuktitut, and 550 (18%) use it at home. Considering the large number of non-Inuit living in Inuvialuit areas and the lack of a single common dialect among the already reduced number of speakers, the future of the Inuit language in the NWT appears bleak.
History
Before the 20th century, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region was primarily inhabited by ''Siglit'' Inuit, who spoke Siglitun, but in the second half of the 19th century, their numbers were dramatically reduced by the introduction of new diseases. Inuit from Alaska moved into traditionally Siglit areas in the 1910s and 1920s, enticed in part by renewed demand for furs from the Hudson's Bay Company. These Inuit are called ''Uummarmiut'' – which means ''people of the green trees'' – in reference to their settlements near the tree line. Originally, there was an intense dislike between the Siglit and the Uummarmiut, but these differences have faded over the years, and the two communities are thoroughly intermixed these days.Phonology
The phonology of Inuvialuktun and other Inuit languages can be found at Inuit phonology. Most Inuit languages have fifteen consonants and three vowel qualities (with phonemic vowel length, length distinctions for each). Although Inupiatun and Qawiaraq language, Qawiaraq have retroflex consonants, retroflexes have otherwise disappeared in all the Canadian and Greenlandic dialects.Writing system
Inuvialuktun and Inuinnaqtun are written in a Latin script, Latin alphabet and have no tradition of Inuktitut syllabics.Harper, Kenn. ''Current Status of Writing Systems for Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and Inuvialuktun''. [Yellowknife, N.W.T.]: Northwest Territories, Culture and Communications, 1992. However, the dialects spoken in Nunavut, east of the Inuinnaqtun region use Canadian Aboriginal syllabics, syllabics.Dialects
The Inuvialuktun dialects are seriously endangered, as English has in recent years become the common language of the community. Surveys of Inuktitut usage in the NWT vary, but all agree that usage is not vigorous. According to the ''Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre'', only 10% of the roughly 4,000 Inuvialuit speak any form of Inuktitut, and only 4% use it at home. Statistics Canada's 2001 Census report is only slightly better, reporting 765 self-identified Inuktitut speakers out of a self-reported Inuvialuit population of 3,905. Considering the large number of non-Inuit living in Inuvialuit areas and the lack of a single common dialect among the already reduced number of speakers, the future of the Inuit language in the NWT appears bleak. From east to west, the dialects are: * ''Iglulingmiut'' or North Baffin dialect, North Baffin, spoken on western Baffin Island (contrast Inuktitut#Nunavut, South Baffin dialect.) * ''Aivilingmiutut'' or Aivilik on the northern Hudson Bay shore of the Kivalliq Region * ''Kivallirmiutut'' or Kivalliq dialect, Kivalliq or Caribou on the southern Hudson Bay shore of the Kivalliq Region * ''Natsilingmiutut or Netsilik consists of three subdialects:'' Natsilik ''proper,'' Arviligjuaq'','' Utkuhiksalik * ''Inuinnaqtun'' consists of four subdialects: Kangiryuarmiutun, Kugluktuk, Bathurst, Cambridge. The Kangiryuarmiutun subdialect is spoken in the small community of Ulukhaktok. Essentially the same as Natsilingmiutut. * ''Siglitun'' was, until the 1980s, believed to be extinct, but it is still spoken by people in Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour and Tuktoyaktuk. The Inuvialuk dialects spoken in Nunavut (that is, Iglulingmiut, Aivilingmiutut, Kivallirmiutut, and eastern Natsilingmiutut) are often counted as Inuktitut, and the government of the NWT only recognizes Inuinnaqtun and Inuvialuktun. In addition, ''Uummarmiutun'', the dialect of the ''Uummarmiut'' which is essentially identical to the Inupiat language, Inupiatun dialect spoken in Alaska and so considered an Inupiat language, has conventionally been grouped with Inuvialuktun because it's spoken in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the NWT. Uummarmiutun is found in the communities of Inuvik and Aklavik.Example phrases
, - , How much does it cost? , , Qanuq akitutigivaa? , , , - , How old is he/she? , , Qanuq ukiuqtutigiva? , , , - , What do you call it? , , Qanuq taivakpiung? , , , - , What is the time? , , Sumukpaung? , , , - , What for? , , Suksaq? , , , - , Why? Or how come? , , Suuq? , , , - , What? , , Suva?/Suna? , , ~ , - , Doesn't matter/It is ok , , Sunngittuq , , , - , What are you doing? , , Suvin? , , , - , It can't be helped! Too bad. , , Qanurviituq! , , , - , in fact, actually , , Nutim , , , - , Do it again! , , Pipsaarung! , , , - , Go ahead and do it , , Piung , , , - , It is cold out! , , Qiqauniqtuaq , , , - , Christmas , , Qitchirvik , , , - , Candy , , Uqummiaqataaq , , , - , Play music , , Atuqtuuyaqtuaq , , , - , Drum dancing , , Qilaun/Qilausiyaqtuaq , , / , - , Church , , Angaadjuvik , , , - , Bell , , Aviluraun , , , - , Jewels , , Savaqutit , , , - , Eskimo ice cream , , Akutaq, Akutuq , , , - , That's all! , , Taima! , ,Notes
{{Authority control Agglutinative languages Indigenous languages of the North American Arctic Inuvialuit languages Copper Inuit Endangered Eskaleut languages