Iñupiaq language - Wikipedia

Iñupiaq language - Wikipedia
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Inupiaq language
Inuit varieties spoken in Alaska and the Northwest Territories
Iñupiaq
Uqausiq/Uqausriq Iñupiatun,
Qanġuziq/Qaġnuziq/Qanġusiq Inupiatun
Native to
United States
, formerly
Russia
Northwest Territories
of
Canada
Region
Alaska
; formerly
Big Diomede Island
Ethnicity
20,709
Iñupiat
(2015)
Native speakers
1,250 fully fluent speakers (2023)
Language family
Eskaleut
Eskimo
Inuit
Iñupiaq
Early forms
Proto-Eskimo–Aleut
Proto-Eskimo
Proto-Inuit
Writing system
Latin
(Iñupiaq alphabet)
Iñupiaq Braille
Official status
Official language in
Alaska
Northwest Territories
(as
Uummarmiutun
dialect)
Language codes
ISO 639-1
ik
ISO 639-2
ipk
ISO 639-3
ipk
– inclusive code
Individual codes:
esi
– North Alaskan Iñupiatun
esk
– Northwest Alaska Iñupiatun
Glottolog
inup1234
ELP
Inupiaq
Iñupiaq dialects and speech communities
This article contains
IPA
phonetic symbols.
Without proper
rendering support
, you may see
question marks, boxes, or other symbols
instead of
Unicode
characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see
Help:IPA
iñuk / nuna
"person" / "land"
Person
Iñupiaq
Dual
Iñupiak
People
Iñupiat
Language
Iñupiatun
Country
Iñupiat Nunaat
Iñupiaq
or
Inupiaq
uː
ih-
NOO
-pee-ak
Inupiaq:
[iɲupiaq]
), also known as
Iñupiat
Inupiat
uː
ih-
NOO
-pee-at
),
Iñupiatun
or
Alaskan Inuit
, is an
Inuit language
, or perhaps group of languages, spoken by
the Iñupiat people
in northern and northwestern
Alaska
, as well as a small adjacent part of the
Northwest Territories
of
Canada
. The Iñupiat language is a member of the
Inuit–Yupik–Unangan language family
, and is closely related and, to varying degrees, mutually intelligible with other Inuit languages of Canada and Greenland. There are roughly 2,000 speakers.
Iñupiaq is considered to be a threatened language, with most speakers at or above the age of 40.
Iñupiaq is an official language of the State of Alaska, along with several other indigenous languages.
The major varieties of the Iñupiaq language are the
North Slope
Iñupiaq and
Seward Peninsula
Iñupiaq dialects.
The Iñupiaq language has been in decline since contact with
in the late 19th century. American territorial acquisition and the legacy of
boarding schools
have created a situation today where a small minority of Iñupiat speak the Iñupiaq language. There is, however, revitalization work underway today in several communities.
History
edit
The Iñupiaq language is an
Inuit language
, the ancestors of which may have been spoken in the northern regions of Alaska for as long as 5,000 years. Between 1,000 and 800 years ago, Inuit migrated east from Alaska to Canada and
Greenland
, eventually occupying the entire Arctic coast and much of the surrounding inland areas. The Iñupiaq dialects are the most conservative forms of the Inuit language, with less linguistic change than the other Inuit languages.
citation needed
In the mid to late 19th century, Russian, British, and American colonists made contact with Iñupiat people. In 1885, the American territorial government appointed
Rev. Sheldon Jackson
as General Agent of Education.
Under his administration, Iñupiat people (and all Alaska Natives) were educated in English-only environments, forbidding the use of Iñupiaq and other indigenous languages of Alaska. After decades of English-only education, with strict punishment if heard speaking Iñupiaq, after the 1970s, most Iñupiat did not pass the Iñupiaq language on to their children, for fear of them being punished for speaking their language.
In 1972, the
Alaska Legislature
passed legislation mandating that if "a [school is attended] by at least 15 pupils whose primary language is other than English, [then the school] shall have at least one teacher who is fluent in the native language".
Today, the
University of Alaska Fairbanks
offers bachelor's degrees in Iñupiaq language and culture, while a preschool/kindergarten-level Iñupiaq immersion school named Nikaitchuat Iḷisaġviat teaches grades PreK–1st grade in
Kotzebue
In 2014, Iñupiaq became an official language of the State of Alaska, alongside English and nineteen other indigenous languages.
In the same year, Iñupiat linguist and educator
Edna Ahgeak MacLean
published an Iñupiaq–English grammar and dictionary with over 19,000 entries. An online version was later released by her.
In 2018,
added Iñupiaq as a language option on their website.
In 2022, an Iñupiaq version of
Wordle
was created.
10
11
Dialects
edit
There are four main dialect divisions and these can be organized within two larger dialect collections:
12
Iñupiaq
Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq is spoken on the
Seward Peninsula
. It has a possible Yupik substrate and is divergent from other Inuit languages.
Qawiaraq
Bering Strait
Northern Alaskan Iñupiaq is spoken from the
Northwest Arctic
and
North Slope
regions of Alaska to the
Mackenzie Delta
in Northwest Territories, Canada.
Malimiut
North Slope Iñupiaq
Dialect collection
12
13
Dialect
12
13
Subdialect
12
13
Tribal nation(s)
Populated areas
13
Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq
Bering Strait
Diomede
Iŋalit
Little Diomede Island
Big Diomede Island
until the late 1940s
Wales
Kiŋikmiut, Tapqaġmiut
Wales
Shishmaref
Brevig Mission
King Island
Ugiuvaŋmiut
King Island
until the early 1960s,
Nome
Qawiaraq
Teller
Siñiġaġmiut, Qawiaraġmiut
Teller
Shaktoolik
Fish River
Iġałuiŋmiut
White Mountain
Golovin
Northern Alaskan Iñupiaq
Malimiutun
Kobuk
Kuuŋmiut, Kiitaaŋmiut [Kiitaaġmiut], Siilim Kaŋianiġmiut, Nuurviŋmiut, Kuuvaum Kaŋiaġmiut, Akuniġmiut, Nuataaġmiut, Napaaqtuġmiut, Kivalliñiġmiut
14
Kobuk River
Valley,
Selawik
Coastal
Pittaġmiut, Kaŋiġmiut, Qikiqtaġruŋmiut
14
Kotzebue
Noatak
North Slope
/ Siḷaliñiġmiutun
Common North Slope
Utuqqaġmiut, Siliñaġmiut [Kukparuŋmiut and Kuuŋmiut], Kakligmiut [Sitarumiut, Utqiaġvigmiut and Nuvugmiut], Kuulugruaġmiut,
Ikpikpagmiut
, Kuukpigmiut [Kañianermiut, Killinermiut and Kagmalirmiut]
14
15
Point Hope
16
Tikiġaġmiut
Point Hope
16
Point Barrow
Nuvuŋmiut
Anaktuvuk Pass
Nunamiut
Anaktuvuk Pass
Uummarmiutun
(Uummaġmiutun)
Uummarmiut
(Uummaġmiut)
Aklavik
(Canada),
Inuvik
(Canada)
Extra geographical information:
Bering Strait dialect:
The Native population of the Big Diomede Island was moved to the Siberian mainland after World War II. The following generation of the population spoke
Central Siberian Yupik
or Russian.
13
The entire population of
King Island
moved to
Nome
in the early 1960s.
13
The Bering Strait dialect might also be spoken in
Teller
on the
Seward Peninsula
16
Qawiaraq dialect
A dialect of Qawiaraq is spoken in
Nome
16
13
A dialect of Qawariaq may also be spoken in
Koyuk
13
Mary's Igloo
, Council, and
Elim
16
The Teller sub-dialect may be spoken in
Unalakleet
16
13
Malimiutun dialect
Both sub-dialects can be found in
Buckland
Koyuk
Shaktoolik
, and
Unalakleet
16
13
A dialect of Malimiutun may be spoken in
Deering
Kiana
Noorvik
Shungnak
, and
Ambler
16
The Malimiutun sub-dialects have also been classified as "Southern Malimiut" (found in
Koyuk
Shaktoolik
, and
Unalakleet
) and "Northern Malimiut" found in "other villages".
16
North Slope dialect:
Common North Slope is "a mix of the various speech forms formerly used in the area".
13
The Point Barrow dialect was "spoken only by a few elders" in 2010.
13
A dialect of North Slope is also spoken in
Kivalina
Point Lay
Wainwright
Atqasuk
Utqiaġvik
Nuiqsut
, and
Barter Island
16
Phonology
edit
Iñupiaq dialects differ widely between consonants used. However, consonant clusters of more than two consonants in a row do not occur. A word may not begin nor end with a consonant cluster.
16
All Iñupiaq dialects have three basic
vowel qualities
: /a i u/.
16
13
There is currently no instrumental work to determine what
allophones
may be linked to these vowels. All three vowels can be long or short, giving rise to a system of six phonemic vowels /a aː i iː u uː/.
Long vowels
are represented by double letters in the orthography: ⟨aa⟩, ⟨ii⟩, ⟨uu⟩.
16
The following diphthongs occur: /ai ia au ua iu ui/.
16
17
No more than two vowels occur in a sequence in Iñupiaq.
16
The Bering strait dialect has a fourth vowel /e/, which preserves the fourth proto-Eskimo vowel reconstructed as */ə/.
16
13
In the other dialects, proto-Eskimo */e/ has merged with the closed front vowel /i/. The merged /i/ is referred to as the "strong /i/", which causes palatalization when preceding consonant clusters in the North Slope dialect (see section on palatalization below). The other /i/ is referred to as "the weak /i/". Weak and strong /i/s are not differentiated in orthography,
16
making it impossible to tell which ⟨i⟩ represents palatalization "short of looking at other processes which depend on the distinction between two i's or else examining data from other Eskimo languages".
18
However, it can be assumed that, within a word, if a palatal consonant is preceded by an ⟨i⟩, it is strong. If an
alveolar consonant
is preceded by an ⟨i⟩, it is weak.
18
Words may begin with a
stop
(with the exception of the
palatal stop
/c/), the
fricative
/s/, nasals /m n/, with a vowel, or the
semivowel
/j/.
Loanwords
, proper names, and exclamations may begin with any segment in both the Seward Peninsula dialects and the North Slope dialects.
16
In the Uummarmiutun dialect words can also begin with /h/. For example, the word for "ear" in North Slope and Little Diomede Island dialects is
siun
code: ipk promoted to code: ik
whereas in Uummarmiutun it is
hiun
code: ipk promoted to code: ik
A word may end in any nasal sound (except for the /ɴ/ found in North Slope), in the stops /t k q/ or in a vowel. In the North Slope dialect if a word ends with an m, and the next word begins with a stop, the m is pronounced /p/, as in
aġna
m t
upiŋa,
pronounced /aʁna
tupiŋa/
16
Very little information of the
prosody
of Iñupiaq has been collected. However, "fundamental frequency (Hz), intensity (dB), loudness (sones), and spectral tilt (phons - dB) may be important" in Malimiutun.
19
Likewise, "duration is not likely to be important in Malimiut Iñupiaq stress/syllable prominence".
19
North Slope Iñupiaq
edit
For North Slope Iñupiaq
12
16
20
Labial
Alveolar
Retroflex
Palatal
Velar
Uvular
Glottal
Nasals
Stops
19
Fricatives
voiceless
voiced
Lateral
voiceless
voiced
Approximant
The phoneme
might not exist.
Recent learners of the language, and heritage speakers are replacing the sound
(written in Iñupiaq as "r") with the American English
sound with which it is similar.
19
The sound
might actually be
ɬʲ
The voiceless stops /p/ /t/ /k/ and /q/ are not aspirated.
16
This may or may not be true for other dialects as well.
/c/ is derived from a palatalized and unreleased /t/.
16
Assimilation
edit
Source:
16
Two consonants cannot appear together unless they share the manner of articulation (in this case treating the lateral and approximant consonants as fricatives). The only exception to this rule is having a voiced fricative consonant appear with a nasal consonant. Since all stops in North Slope are voiceless, a lot of needed assimilation arises from having to assimilate a voiceless stop to a voiced consonant.
This process is realized by assimilating the first consonant in the cluster to a consonant that: 1) has the same (or closest possible) area of articulation as the consonant being assimilated to; and 2) has the same manner of articulation as the second consonant that it is assimilating to. If the second consonant is a lateral or approximant, the first consonant will assimilate to a lateral or approximant if possible. If not the first consonant will assimilate to a fricative. Therefore:
IPA
Example
/kn/ → /ɣn/
or → /ŋn/
Kami
"to put boots on"
iaq
"will"
te
"he"
kami
gn
iaqtuq or kami
ŋn
iaqtuq
he will put the boots on
Kami
iaq + te → {kami
gn
iaqtuq or kami
ŋn
iaqtuq}
{"to put boots on"} + "will" + "he" → {he will put the boots on}
/qn/ → /ʁn/
or → /ɴ/ *
iḷisa
"to study"
iaq
"will"
tuq
"he"
iḷisa
ġn
iaqtuq
he will study
iḷisa
iaq + tuq → iḷisa
ġn
iaqtuq
{"to study"} + "will" + "he" → {he will study}
/tn/ → /nn/
aqpa
"to run"
iaq
"will"
tuq
"he"
aqpa
nn
iaqtuq
he will run
aqpa
iaq + tuq → aqpa
nn
iaqtuq
{"to run"} + "will" + "he" → {he will run}
/tm/ → /nm/
maki
"to stand up"
an
"when he"
maki
nm
an
When he stood up
maki
an → maki
nm
an
{"to stand up"} + {"when he"} → {When he stood up}
/tɬ/ → /ɬɬ/
maki
"to stand"
uni
"by ---ing"
maki
łł
uni
standing up, he ...
maki
uni → maki
łł
uni
{"to stand"} + {"by ---ing"} → {standing up, he ...}
* The sound /ɴ/ is not represented in the orthography. Therefore the spelling
ġn
can be pronounced as /ʁn/ or /ɴn/. In both examples 1 and 2, since voiced fricatives can appear with nasal consonants, both consonant clusters are possible.
The stops /t̚ʲ/ and /t/ do not have a corresponding voiced fricative, therefore they will assimilate to the closest possible area of articulation. In this case, the /t̚ʲ/ will assimilate to the voiced approximant /j/. The /t/ will assimilate into a
/ʐ/
. Therefore:
IPA
Example
/t̚ʲɣ/ → /jɣ/
siksrii
"squirrels"
uuq
"it is said that"
siksrii
yg
uuq
it is said that squirrels
siksrii
uuq → siksrii
yg
uuq
"squirrels" + {"it is said that"} → {it is said that squirrels}
/tv/ → /ʐv/
aqpa
"to run"
ik
"place"
aqpa
rv
ik
race track
aqpa
ik → aqpa
rv
ik
{"to run"} + "place" → {race track}
(In the first example above note that denotes a single consonant, as shown in the alphabet section below, so the constraint of at most two consonants in a cluster, as mentioned above, is not violated.)
In the case of the second consonant being a lateral, the lateral will again be treated as a fricative. Therefore:
IPA
Example
/ml/ → /ml/
or → /vl/
aġna
"(of) the woman"
"and"
aġna
ml
u or aġna
vl
and (of) the woman
aġna
u → {aġna
ml
u or aġna
vl
u}
{"(of) the woman"} + "and" → {and (of) the woman}
/nl/ → /nl/
or → /ll/
aŋu
"the man"
"and"
aŋu
nl
u or aŋu
ll
and the man
aŋu
u → {aŋu
nl
u or aŋu
ll
u}
{"the man"} + "and" → {and the man}
Since voiced fricatives can appear with nasal consonants, both consonant clusters are possible.
The sounds
/f/
/x/
and
/χ/
are not represented in the orthography (unless they occur alone between vowels). Therefore, like the /ɴn/ example shown above, assimilation still occurs while the spelling remains the same. Therefore:
IPA (pronunciation)
Example
/qɬ/ →
/χɬ/
mi
qł
iqtuq
child
mi
qł
iqtuq
child
/kʂ/ → /xʂ/
si
ksr
ik
squirrel
si
ksr
ik
squirrel
/vs/ → /fs/
ta
vs
belt
ta
vs
belt
These general features of assimilation are not shared with Uummarmiut, Malimiutun, or the Seward Peninsula dialects. Malimiutun and the Seward Peninsula dialects "preserve voiceless stops (k, p, q, t) when they are etymological (i.e. when they belong to the original word-base)".
13
Compare:
North Slope
Malimiutun
Seward Peninsula dialects
Uummarmiut
ni
vl
iqsuq
ni
pl
iqsuq
ni
pł
atuq, ni
płi
qtuq
ni
vl
iraqtuq
makes a sound
gn
iq
kn
iq
kn
iq
kn
iq
fire
nn
uġaak
tn
uġaak
tn
uġaak
atar̂aaq
garment
Palatalization
edit
Source:
16
The following patterns of palatalization can occur in North Slope Iñupiaq: /t/ → /t̚ʲ/,
/tʃ/
or /s/;
/ɬ/
/ʎ̥/
/l/
/ʎ/
; and /n/ →
/ɲ/
. Palatalization only occurs when one of these four alveolars is preceded by a strong
. Compare:
Type of I
Example
strong
qimm
iq
/qimːiq/
dog
qimm
it
/qimːit̚ʲ/
dogs
qimm
iq
→ qimm
it
/qimːiq/ → /qimːit̚ʲ/
dog → dogs
weak
tum
/tumi/
footprint
tum
it
/tumit/
footprints
tum
→ tum
it
/tumi/ → /tumit/
footprint → footprints
strong
iġġ
/iʁːi/
mountain
iġġ
iḷ
/iʁːiʎu/
and a mountain
iġġ
→ iġġ
iḷ
/iʁːi/ → /iʁːiʎu/
mountain → {and a mountain}
weak
tum
/tumi/
footprint
tum
il
/tumilu/
and a footprint
tum
→ tum
il
/tumi/ → /tumilu/
footprint → {and a footprint}
Please note that the sound /t̚ʲ/ does not have its own letter, and is simply spelled with a T t. The IPA transcription of the above vowels may be incorrect.
If a t that precedes a vowel is palatalized, it will become an /s/. The strong
affects the entire consonant cluster, palatalizing all consonants that can be palatalized within the cluster. Therefore:
Type of I
Example
strong
qimm
iq
/qimmiq/
dog
igun
/tiɣun/
amongst the plural things
qimm
is
igun
/qimːisiɣun/
amongst, in the midst of dogs
qimm
iq
igun → qimm
is
igun
/qimmiq/ + /tiɣun/ → /qimːisiɣun/
dog + {amongst the plural things} → {amongst, in the midst of dogs}
strong
puq
ik
/puqik/
to be smart
uq
/tuq/
she/he/it
puq
iks
uq
/puqiksuq/
she/he/it is smart
puq
ik
uq → puq
iks
uq
/puqik/ + /tuq/ → /puqiksuq/
{to be smart} + {she/he/it} → {she/he/it is smart}
Note in the first example, due to the nature of the suffix, the /q/ is dropped. Like the first set of examples, the IPA transcriptions of above vowels may be incorrect.
If a strong
precedes geminate consonant, the entire elongated consonant becomes palatalized. For Example: niġ
ḷḷ
aturuq and tiki
ññ
iaqtuq.
Further strong versus weak
processes
edit
Source:
16
The strong
can be paired with a vowel. The weak
on the other hand cannot.
18
The weak i will become an
if it is paired with another vowel, or if the consonant before the
becomes geminate. This rule may or may not apply to other dialects. Therefore:
Type of I
Example
weak
tum
/tumi/
footprint
tum
/tumaː/
her/his footprint
tum
→ tum
/tumi/ → /tumaː/
footprint → {her/his footprint}
strong
qimm
/qimːiq/
dog
qimm
/qimːia/
her/his dog
qimm
q → qimm
/qimːiq/ → /qimːia/
dog → {her/his dog}
weak
kam
/kamik/
boot
kamm
/kamːak/
two boots
kam
k → kamm
/kamik/ → /kamːak/
boot → {two boots}
Like the first two sets of examples, the IPA transcriptions of above vowels may not be correct.
Uummarmiutun sub-dialect
edit
For the Uummarmiutun sub-dialect:
17
Labial
Alveolar
Palatal
Retroflex
Velar
Uvular
Glottal
Nasals
Stops
voiceless
tʃ
voiced
dʒ
Fricatives
voiceless
voiced
Lateral
voiceless
voiced
Approximant
Ambiguities: This sound might exist in the Uummarmiutun sub dialect.
Phonological rules
edit
The following are the phonological rules:
17
The /f/ is always found as a geminate.
The /j/ cannot be geminated, and is always found between vowels or preceded by /v/. In rare cases it can be found at the beginning of a word.
The /h/ is never geminate, and can appear as the first letter of the word, between vowels, or preceded by /k/ /ɬ/ or /q/.
The
/tʃ/
and
/dʒ/
are always geminate or preceded by a /t/.
The
/ʐ/
can appear between vowels, preceded by consonants
/ɣ/
/k/ /q/
/ʁ/
/t/ or /v/, or it can be followed by
/ɣ/
, /v/,
/ʁ/
Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq
edit
For Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq:
12
Labial
Alveolar
Palatal
Retroflex
Velar
Uvular
Glottal
Nasals
Stops
voiceless
tʃ
voiced
Fricatives
voiceless
voiced
Lateral
voiceless
voiced
Approximant
Unlike the other Iñupiaq dialects, the Seward Peninsula dialect has a mid central vowel e (see the beginning of the phonology section for more information).
Gemination
edit
In North Slope Iñupiaq, all consonants represented by orthography can be geminated, except for the sounds
/tʃ/
/s/ /h/ and
/ʂ/
16
Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq (using vocabulary from the Little Diomede Island as a representative sample) likewise can have all consonants represented by orthography appear as geminates, except for /b/ /h/
/ŋ/
/ʂ/
/w/ /z/ and
/ʐ/
. Gemination is caused by suffixes being added to a consonant, so that the consonant is found between two vowels.
16
Writing systems
edit
See also:
Iñupiaq Braille
and
Kaktovik numerals
Iñupiaq was first written when explorers first arrived in Alaska and began recording words in the native languages. They wrote by adapting the letters of their own language to writing the sounds they were recording. Spelling was often inconsistent, since the writers invented it as they wrote. Unfamiliar sounds were often confused with other sounds, so that, for example, 'q' was often not distinguished from 'k' and long consonants or vowels were not distinguished from short ones.
Along with the Alaskan and Siberian
Yupik
, the Iñupiat eventually adopted the
Latin script
that
Moravian
missionaries developed in
Greenland
and
Labrador
. Native Alaskans also developed a system of
pictographs
which?
which, however, died with its creators.
21
In 1946, Roy Ahmaogak, an Iñupiaq
Presbyterian
minister from
Utqiaġvik
, worked with
Eugene Nida
, a member of the
Summer Institute of Linguistics
, to develop the current Iñupiaq alphabet based on the Latin script. Although some changes have been made since its origin—most notably the change from 'ḳ' to 'q'—the essential system was accurate and is still in use.
Iñupiaq alphabet (North Slope and Northwest Arctic)
22
A a
Ch ch
G g
Ġ ġ
H h
I i
K k
L l
Ḷ ḷ
Ł ł
Ł̣ ł̣
M m
cha
ga
ġa
ha
ka
la
ḷa
ła
ł̣a
ma
tʃ
N n
Ñ ñ
Ŋ ŋ
P p
Q q
R r
S s
Sr sr
T t
U u
V v
Y y
na
ña
ŋa
pa
qa
ra
sa
sra
ta
va
ya
Extra letter for Kobuk dialect:
Iñupiaq alphabet (Seward Peninsula)
A a
B b
G g
Ġ ġ
H h
I i
K k
L l
Ł ł
M m
N n
Ŋ ŋ
P p
ba
ga
ġa
ha
ka
la
ła
ma
na
ŋa
pa
Q q
R r
S s
Sr sr
T t
U u
V v
W w
Y y
Z z
Zr zr
qa
ra
sa
sra
ta
va
wa
ya
za
zra
Extra letters for specific dialects:
Diomede:
Qawiaraq:
ch /
tʃ
Canadian Iñupiaq alphabet (Uummarmiutun)
A a
Ch ch
F f
G g
H h
Dj dj
I i
K k
L l
M m
cha
fa
ga
ha
dja
ka
la
ła
ma
tʃ
dʒ
N n
Ñ ñ
Ng ng
P p
Q q
R r
R̂ r̂
T t
U u
V v
Y y
na
ña
ŋa
pa
qa
ra
r̂a
ta
va
ya
Morphosyntax
edit
Due to the number of dialects and complexity of Iñupiaq morphosyntax, the following section discusses Malimiutun morphosyntax as a representative. Any examples from other dialects will be marked as such.
Iñupiaq is a
polysynthetic language
, meaning that words can be extremely long, consisting of one of three stems (verb stem, noun stem, and
demonstrative
stem) along with one or more of three endings (
postbases
, (grammatical)
endings
, and
enclitics
).
16
The stem gives meaning to the word, whereas endings give information regarding case, mood, tense, person, plurality, etc. The stem can appear as simple (having no postbases) or complex (having one or more postbases). In Iñupiaq a "postbase serves somewhat the same functions that adverbs, adjectives, prefixes, and suffixes do in English" along with marking various types of tenses.
16
There are six word classes in Malimiut Inñupiaq: nouns (see Nominal Morphology), verbs (see Verbal Morphology), adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, and interjections. All
demonstratives
are classified as either adverbs or pronouns.
19
Nominal morphology
edit
The Iñupiaq category of
number
distinguishes
singular
dual
, and
plural
. The language works on an
Ergative–Absolutive
system, where nouns are inflected for number, several cases, and possession.
16
Iñupiaq (Malimiutun) has nine cases, two core cases (ergative and absolutive) and seven oblique cases (
instrumental
allative
ablative
locative
perlative
similative
and
vocative
).
19
North Slope Iñupiaq does not have the vocative case.
16
Iñupiaq does not have a category of
gender
and
articles
citation needed
Iñupiaq nouns can likewise be classified by Wolf A. Seiler's seven noun classes.
19
23
These noun classes are "based on morphological behavior. [They] ... have no semantic basis but are useful for case formation ... stems of various classes interact with suffixes differently".
19
Due to the nature of the morphology, a single case can take on up to 12 endings (ignoring the fact that realization of these endings can change depending on noun class). For example, the possessed ergative ending for a class 1a noun can take on the endings: -ma, ‑mnuk, ‑pta, ‑vich, ‑ptik, -psi, -mi, -mik, -miŋ, -ŋan, -ŋaknik, and ‑ŋata. Therefore, only general features will be described below. For an extensive list on case endings, please see
Seiler 2012, Appendix 4, 6, and 7
23
Absolutive case/noun stems
edit
The subject of an intransitive sentence or the object of a transitive sentence take on the
absolutive case
. This case is likewise used to mark the basic form of a noun. Therefore, all the singular, dual, and plural absolutive forms serve as stems for the other oblique cases.
16
The following chart is verified of both Malimiutun and North Slope Iñupiaq.
Absolutive endings
16
19
Endings
singular
-q, -k, -n, or any vowel
dual
-k
plural
-t
If the singular absolutive form ends with -n, it has the underlying form of -ti /tə/. This form will show in the absolutive dual and plural forms. Therefore:
tiŋmisuu
airplane
tiŋmisuu
ti
two airplanes
tiŋmisuu
ti
multiple airplanes
tiŋmisuu
→ tiŋmisuu
ti
k & tiŋmisuu
ti
airplane {} {two airplanes} {} {multiple airplanes}
Regarding nouns that have an underlying /ə/ (weak i), the
will change to an
and the previous consonant will be geminated in the dual form. Therefore:
Ka
mi
boot
ka
mma
two boots
Ka
mi
k → ka
mma
boot {} {two boots}
If the singular form of the noun ends with -k, the preceding vowel will be elongated. Therefore:
sav
ik
knife
sav
iik
two knives
sav
ik
→ sav
iik
knife {} {two knives}
On occasion, the consonant preceding the final vowel is also geminated, though exact phonological reasoning is unclear.
19
Ergative case
edit
The
ergative case
is often referred to as the Relative Case in Iñupiaq sources.
16
This case marks the subject of a transitive sentence or a genitive (possessive) noun phrase. For non-possessed noun phrases, the noun is marked only if it is a third person singular. The unmarked nouns leave ambiguity as to who/what is the subject and object. This can be resolved only through context.
16
19
Possessed noun phrases and noun phrases expressing genitive are marked in ergative for all persons.
19
Ergative endings
19
Endings
Allophones
-m
-um, -im
This suffix applies to all singular unpossessed nouns in the ergative case.
Examples
Example
aŋun → aŋuti
man → man (ergative)
aŋatchiaq → aŋatchiaŋ
uncle → my two uncles (ergative)
Please note the underlying /tə/ form in the first example.
Instrumental case
edit
This case is also referred to as the modalis case. This case has a wide range of uses described below:
Usage of instrumental
19
Example
Marks nouns that are means by which the subject achieves something (see
instrumental
Aŋuniaqtim
hunter.
ERG
aġviġluaq
gray wale-
ABS
tuqutkaa
kill-
IND
3SG
SBJ
3SG
OBJ
nauliga
mik
harpoon-
INS
(using it as a tool to)
Aŋuniaqtim aġviġluaq tuqutkaa nauliga
mik
hunter.ERG {gray wale-ABS} kill-IND-3SG.SBJ-3SG.OBJ harpoon-
INS
The hunter killed the gray whale
with a harpoon
Marks the apparent
patient
(grammatical object upon which the action was carried out) of syntactically intransitive verbs
Miñułiqtugut
paint-
IND
3SG
OBJ
umia
mik.
boat-
INS
(having the previous verb being done to it)
Miñułiqtugut umia
mik.
paint-IND-3SG.OBJ boat-
INS
We're painting a
boat
Marks information new to the narrative (when the noun is first mentioned in a narrative)
Marks indefinite objects of some transitive verbs
Tuyuġaat
send-
IND
3PL
SBJ
3SG
OBJ
tuyuuti
mik
letter-
INS
(new piece of information)
Tuyuġaat tuyuuti
mik
send-IND-3PL.SBJ-3SG.OBJ letter-
INS
They sent him a
letter
Marks the specification of a noun's meaning to incorporate the meaning of another noun (without incorporating both nouns into a single word) (Modalis of specification)
16
Niġiqaqtuguk
food—have-
IND
1DU
SBJ
tuttu
mik
caribou-
INS
(specifying that the caribou is food by referring to the previous noun)
Niġiqaqtuguk tuttu
mik
food—have-IND-1DU.SBJ caribou-
INS
We (dual) have (food)
caribou for food
Qavsi
ñik
how many-
INS
paniqaqpit?
daughter—have
(of the following noun)
Qavsi
ñik
paniqaqpit?
{how many}-
INS
daughter—have
How many
daughters do you have?
Instrumental endings
19
Endings
Examples
singular
-mik
Kamik
boot
kamiŋ
mik
(with a) boot
Kamik → kamiŋ
mik
boot → {(with a) boot}
dual
[dual absolutive stem] -nik
kammak
(two) boots
kammaŋ
nik
(with two) boots
kammak → kammaŋ
nik
{(two) boots} → {(with two) boots}
plural
[singular absolutive stem] -nik
kamik
boot
kamiŋ
nik
(with multiple) boots
kamik → kamiŋ
nik
boot → {(with multiple) boots}
Since the ending is the same for both dual and plural, different stems are used. In all the examples the k is assimilated to an ŋ.
Allative case
edit
The
allative case
is also referred to as the terminalis case. The uses of this case are described below:
19
Usage of Allative
19
Example
Used to signify motion or an action directed towards a goal
16
Qaliŋaum
Qaliŋak-
ERG
quppiġaaq
coat-
ABS
atauksritchaa
lend-
IND
3SG
SBJ
3SG
OBJ
Nauya
mun
Nauyaq-
ALL
(towards his direction/to him)
Qaliŋaum quppiġaaq atauksritchaa Nauya
mun
Qaliŋak-ERG coat-ABS lend-IND-3SG.SBJ-3SG.OBJ Nauyaq-
ALL
Qaliŋak lent a coat
to Nauyaq
Isiqtuq
enter-
IND
3SG
iglu
mun
house-
ALL
(into)
Isiqtuq iglu
mun
enter-IND-3SG house-
ALL
He went
into the house
Signifies that the statement is for the purpose of the marked noun
Niġiqpaŋ
mun
feast-
ALL
niqiłiuġñiaqtugut.
prepare.a.meal-
FUT
IND
3PL
SBJ
(for the purpose of)
Niġiqpaŋ
mun
niqiłiuġñiaqtugut.
feast-
ALL
prepare.a.meal-FUT-IND-3PL.SBJ
We will prepare a meal
for the feast.
Signifies the beneficiary of the statement
Piquum
Piquk-
ERG
uligruat
blanket-
ABS
PL
paipiura
nun
baby-
PL
ALL
qiḷaŋniqsuq.
knit-
IND
3SG
(for)
Piquum uligruat paipiura
nun
qiḷaŋniqsuq.
Piquk-ERG blanket-ABS-PL baby-PL-
ALL
knit-IND-3SG
Evidently Piquk knits blankets
for babies
Marks the noun that is being addressed to
Qaliŋaŋ
mun
Qaliŋaŋmun-
ALL
uqautirut
tell-
IND
3PL
SBJ
(to)
Qaliŋaŋ
mun
uqautirut
Qaliŋaŋmun-
ALL
tell-IND-3PL.SBJ
They (plural) told
Qaliŋak
Allative endings
Endings
Examples
singular
-mun
aġnauraq
girl
aġnaura
mun
(to the) girl
aġnauraq → aġnaura
mun
girl → {(to the) girl}
dual
[dual absolutive stem] -nun
aġnaurak
(two) girls
aġnauraŋ
(with two) girls
aġnaurak → aġnauraŋ
{(two) girls} → {(with two) girls}
plural
[singular absolutive stem] -nun
aġnauraq
girl
aġnaura
nun
(to the two) girls
aġnauraq → aġnaura
nun
girl → {(to the two) girls}
*It is unclear as to whether this example is regular for the dual form or not.
Numerals
edit
Main article:
Iñupiaq numerals
For the notational system, see
Kaktovik numerals
Iñupiaq numerals are
base-20
with a sub-base of 5. The numbers 1 to 20 are:
24
atausiq
malġuk
piŋasut
sisamat
tallimat
10
itchaksrat
tallimat malġuk
tallimat piŋasut
quliŋŋuġutaiḷaq
qulit
11
12
13
14
15
qulit atausiq
qulit malġuk
qulit piŋasut
akimiaġutaiḷaq
akimiaq
16
17
18
19
20
akimiaq atausiq
akimiaq malġuk
akimiaq piŋasut
iñuiññaġutaiḷaq
iñuiññaq
The sub-base of five shows in the words for 5,
tallimat
, and 15,
akimiaq
, to which the numbers 1 to 3 are added to create the words for 7, 8, 16, 17 and 18, etc. (
itchaksrat
'6' being irregular). Apart from
sisamat
'4', numbers before a multiple of five are indicated with the subtractive element
-utaiḷaq
quliŋŋuġutaiḷaq
'9' from
qulit
'10',
akimiaġutaiḷaq
'14' from
akimiaq
'15',
iñuiññaġutaiḷaq
'19' from
iñuiññaq
'20'.
25
Scores are created with the element
-kipiaq
, and numbers between the scores are composed by adding 1 through 19 to these. Multiples of 400 are created with
-agliaq
and 8000's with
-pak
. Note that these words will vary between singular
-q
and plural
-t
, depending on the speaker and whether they are being used for counting or for modifying a noun.
Number
Semantics
20
iñuiññaq
20
25
iñuiññaq tallimat
20 + 5
29
iñuiññaq quliŋŋuġutaiḷaq
20 + 10 − 1
30
iñuiññaq qulit
20 + 10
35
iñuiññaq akimiaq
20 + 15
39
malġukipiaġutaiḷaq
2×20 − 1
40
malġukipiaq
2×20
45
malġukipiaq tallimat
2×20 + 5
50
malġukipiaq qulit
2×20 + 10
55
malġukipiaq akimiaq
2×20 + 15
60
piŋasukipiaq
3×20
70
piŋasukipiaq qulit
3×20 + 10
80
sisamakipiaq
4×20
90
sisamakipiaq qulit
4×20 + 10
99
tallimakipiaġutaiḷaq
5×20 − 1
100
tallimakipiaq
5×20
110
tallimakipiaq qulit
5×20 + 10
120
tallimakipiaq iñuiññaq
5×20 + 20
140
tallimakipiaq malġukipiaq
5×20 + 2×20
160
tallimakipiaq piŋasukipiaq
5×20 + 3×20
180
tallimakipiaq sisamakipiaq
5×20 + 4×20
200
qulikipiaq
10×20
300
akimiakipiaq
15×20
400
iñuiññakipiaq (in reindeer herding and math,
iḷagiññaq
20×20
800
malġuagliaq
2×400
1200
piŋasuagliaq
3×400
1600
sisamaagliaq
4×400
2000
tallimaagliaq
5×400
2400
tallimaagliaq iḷagiññaq
5×400 + 400
2800
tallimaagliaq malġuagliaq
5×400 + 2×400
4000
quliagliaq
10×400
6000
akimiagliaq
15×400
7999
atausiqpautaiḷaq
8000 − 1
8000
atausiqpak
8000
16,000
malġuqpak
2×8000
24,000
piŋasuqpak
3×8000
32,000
sisamaqpak
4×8000
40,000
tallimaqpak
5×8000
48,000
tallimaqpak atausiqpak
5×8000 + 8000
72,000
tallimaqpak sisamaqpak
5×8000 + 4×8000
80,000
quliqpak
10×8000
120,000
akimiaqpak
15×8000
160,000
iñuiññaqpak
20×8000
320,000
malġukipiaqpak
2×20×8000
480,000
piŋasukipiaqpak
3×20×8000
640,000
sisamakipiaqpak
4×20×8000
800,000
tallimakipiaqpak
5×20×8000
1,600,000
qulikipiaqpak
10×20×8000
2,400,000
akimiakipiaqpak
15×20×8000
3,200,000
iḷagiññaqpak
400×8000
6,400,000
malġuagliaqpak
2×400×8000
9,600,000
piŋasuagliaqpak
3×400×8000
12,800,000
sisamaagliaqpak
4×400×8000
16 million
tallimaagliaqpak
5x400×8000
32 million
quliagliaqpak
10×400×8000
48 million
akimiagliaqpak
15×400×8000
The system continues through compounding suffixes to a maximum of
iñuiññagliaqpakpiŋatchaq
(20×400×8000
, ≈ 4 quadrillion), e.g.
Number
Semantics
64 million
atausiqpakaippaq
1×8000
1,280 million
iñuiññaqpakaippaq
20×8000
25.6 billion
iḷagiññaqpakaippaq
400×8000
511,999,999,999
atausiqpakpiŋatchaġutaiḷaq
1×8000
− 1
512 billion
atausiqpakpiŋatchaq
1×8000
10.24 trillion
iñuiññaqpakpiŋatchaq
20×8000
204.8 trillion
iḷagiññaqpakpiŋatchaq
400×8000
2.048 quadrillion
quliagliaqpakpiŋatchaq
10×400×8000
There is also a decimal system for the hundreds and thousands, with the numerals
qavluun
for 100 and
kavluutit
for 1000, thus
malġuk qavluun
200,
malġuk kavluutit
2000, etc.
26
Etymology
edit
The numeral five,
tallimat
, is derived from the word for hand/arm. The word for 10,
qulit
, is derived from the word for "top", meaning the ten digits on the top part of the body. The numeral for 15,
akimiaq
, means something like "it goes across", and the numeral for 20,
iñuiññaq
means something like "entire person" or "complete person", indicating the 20 digits of all extremities.
25
Verbal morphology
edit
Again, Malimiutun Iñupiaq is used as a representative example in this section. The basic structure of the verb is [(verb) + (derivational suffix) + (inflectional suffix) + (enclitic)], although Lanz (2010) argues that this approach is insufficient since it "forces one to analyze ... optional ... suffixes".
19
Every verb has an obligatory inflection for
person
number
, and
mood
(all marked by a single suffix), and can have other inflectional suffixes such as
tense
aspect
modality
, and various suffixes carrying adverbial functions.
19
Tense
edit
Tense marking is always optional. The only explicitly marked tense is the future tense. Past and present tense cannot be marked and are always implied. All verbs can be marked through adverbs to show relative time (using words such as "yesterday" or "tomorrow"). If neither of these markings is present, the verb can imply a past, present, or future tense.
19
Future tense
19
Tense
Example
Present
Uqaqsiitigun
telephone
uqaqtuguk.
we-
DU
-talk
Uqaqsiitigun uqaqtuguk.
telephone we-DU-talk
We (two) talk on the phone.
Future
Uqaqsiitigun
telephone
uqa
ġisi
ruguk.
we-
DU
FUT
-talk
Uqaqsiitigun uqa
ġisi
ruguk.
telephone we-DU-
FUT
-talk
We (two)
will
talk on the phone.
Future (implied)
Iġñivaluktuq
give birth probably
aakauraġa
my sister
uvlaakun
tomorrow
Iġñivaluktuq aakauraġa
uvlaakun
{give birth probably} {my sister}
tomorrow
My sister (will) give(s) birth
tomorrow
. (the future tense "will" is implied by the word tomorrow)
Aspect
edit
Marking aspect is optional in Iñupiaq verbs. Both North Slope and Malimiut Iñupiaq have a
perfective
versus
imperfective
distinction in aspect, along with other distinctions such as:
frequentative
(-ataq; "to repeatedly verb"),
habitual
(-suu; "to always, habitually verb"),
inchoative
(-łhiñaaq; "about to verb"), and intentional (-saġuma; "intend to verb"). The aspect suffix can be found after the verb root and before or within the obligatory person-number-mood suffix.
19
Mood
edit
Iñupiaq has the following moods:
Indicative
Interrogative
Imperative
(positive, negative), Coordinative, and
Conditional
19
23
Participles are sometimes classified as a mood.
19
19
Mood
Usage
Example
Notes
Indicative
Declarative statements
aŋuniaqtit
hunt-
NZ
PL
siñik
tut
sleep-
IND
aŋuniaqtit siñik
tut
hunt-
NZ
-PL sleep-3-
IND
The hunters
are sleeping
Participles
Creating relative clauses
Putu
Putu
aŋutauruq
young-man
umiaqaq
tuaq
boat-have-
PTCP
Putu aŋutauruq umiaqaq
tuaq
Putu young-man boat-have-3-
PTCP
Putu is a man
who owns a boat
"who owns a boat" is one word, where the meaning of the English "who" is implied through the case.
Interrogative
Formation of yes/no questions and content questions
Puuvratla
vich
swim-
POT
INTERR
Puuvratla
vich
swim-POT-2-
INTERR
Can you (singular)
swim
Yes/no question
Su
visik
what-
2DU
INTERR
Su
visik
what-2DU-
INTERR
What
are you two doing?
Content question (this is a single word)
Imperative
A command
Naalaġ
iñ!
listen-
2SG
IMP
Naalaġ
iñ!
listen-2SG-
IMP
Listen
Conditionals
Conditional and hypothetical statements
Kak
kama
hungry-
1SG
COND
PFV
niġiŋaruŋa.
eat-
PFV
1SG
IND
Kak
kama
niġiŋaruŋa.
hungry-1SG-
COND
-PFV eat-PFV-1SG-IND
When I
got hungry
, I ate.
Conditional statement. The verb "eat" is in the indicative mood because it is simply a declarative statement.
Kaak
kumi
hungry-
1SG
COND
IPFV
niġiñiaqtuŋa.
eat-
FUT
1SG
IND
Kaak
kumi
niġiñiaqtuŋa.
hungry-1SG-
COND
-IPFV eat-FUT-1SG-IND
If I
get hungry
, I will eat.
Hypothetical statement. The verb "eat" is in the indicative mood because it is simply a statement.
Coordinative
Formation of dependent clauses that function as modifiers of independent clauses
Agliqi
łuŋa
read-
1SG
COORD
niġiruŋa.
eat-
1SG
IND
Agliqi
łuŋa
niġiruŋa.
read-1SG-
COORD
eat-1SG-IND
[While] reading
, I eat.
The coordinative case on the verb "read" signifies that the verb is happening at the same time as the main clause ("eat" - marked by indicative because it is simply a declarative statement).
Indicative mood endings can be transitive or intransitive, as seen in the table below.
Indicative intransitive endings
Indicative transitive endings
OBJECT
Mood marker
3s
3d
3p
2s
2d
2p
1s
1d
1p
+t/ru
ŋa
guk
gut
1S
1D
1P
+kI/gI
ga
kpuk
kput
kka
tka
vuk
vut
kpiñ
visigiñ
vsik
vsI
1S
1D
1P
tin
sik
sI
2S
2D
2P
ksik
ksi
kkiñ
tin
sik
si
ŋma
vsiŋŋa
vsiñŋa
vsiguk
vsigut
2S
2D
2P
3S
SD
3P
+ka/ga
ak
at
ik
↓←
↓←
It
atin
asik
asI
aŋa
aŋŋa
aŋŋa
atiguk
atigut
3S
3D
3P
Syntax
edit
Nearly all syntactic operations in the Malimiut dialect of Iñiupiaq—and Inuit languages and dialects in general—are carried out via morphological means.
19
The language aligns to an
ergative-absolutive
case system, which is mainly shown through nominal case markings and verb agreement (see above).
19
The basic word order is subject-object-verb. However, word order is flexible and both subject and/or object can be omitted. There is a tendency for the subject of a transitive verb (marked by the ergative case) to precede the object of the clause (marked by the absolutive case). There is likewise a tendency for the subject of an intransitive verb (marked by the absolutive case) to precede the verb. The subject of an intransitive verb and the object of a clause (both marked by the absolutive case) are usually found right before the verb. However, "this is [all] merely a tendency."
19
Iñupiaq grammar also includes morphological
passive
antipassive
causative
and
applicative
Noun incorporation
edit
Noun incorporation
is a common phenomenon in Malimiutun Iñupiaq. The first type of noun incorporation is
lexical compounding
. Within this subset of noun incorporation, the noun, which represents an instrument, location, or patient in relation to the verb, is attached to the front of the verb stem, creating a new intransitive verb. The second type is
manipulation of case
. It is argued whether this form of noun incorporation is present as noun incorporation in Iñupiaq, or "semantically transitive noun incorporation"—since with this kind of noun incorporation the verb remains transitive. The noun phrase subjects are incorporated not syntactically into the verb but rather as objects marked by the instrumental case. The third type of incorporation,
manipulation of discourse structure
is supported by Mithun (1984) and argued against by Lanz (2010). See Lanz's paper for further discussion.
19
The final type of incorporation is
classificatory noun incorporation
, whereby a "general [noun] is incorporated into the [verb], while a more specific [noun] narrows the scope".
19
With this type of incorporation, the external noun can take on external modifiers and, like the other incorporations, the verb becomes intransitive. See
Nominal Morphology
Instrumental Case, Usage of Instrumental
table, row four) on this page for an example.
Switch-references
edit
Switch-references
occur in dependent clauses only with third person subjects. The verb must be marked as reflexive if the third person subject of the dependent clause matches the subject of the main clause (more specifically matrix clause).
19
Compare:
Switch references
19
Example
Notes
Kaa
kkama
hungry-
REFL
COND
niġiŋaruq.
eat-
IND
Kaa
kkama
niġiŋaruq.
hungry-3-
REFL
-COND eat-3-IND
When he/she got hungry, he/she ate.
The verb in the matrix clause (to eat) refers to the same person because the verb in the dependent clause (To get hungry) is reflexive. Therefore, a single person got hungry and ate.
Kaa
ŋman
hungry-
NREFL
COND
niġiŋaruq.
eat-
IND
Kaa
ŋman
niġiŋaruq.
hungry-3-
NREFL
-COND eat-3-IND
When he/she got hungry, (someone else) ate.
The verb in the matrix clause (to eat) refers to a different singular person because the verb in the dependent clause (To get hungry) is non-reflexive.
Text sample
edit
This is a sample of the Iñupiaq language of the Kivalina variety from
Kivalina Reader,
published in 1975.
Aaŋŋaayiña aniñiqsuq Qikiqtami. Aasii iñuguġuni. Tikiġaġmi Kivaliñiġmiḷu. Tuvaaqatiniguni Aivayuamik. Qulit atautchimik qitunġivḷutik. Itchaksrat iñuuvlutiŋ. Iḷaŋat Qitunġaisa taamna Qiñuġana.
This is the English translation, from the same source:
Aaŋŋaayiña was born in Shishmaref. He grew up in Point Hope and Kivalina. He marries Aivayuaq. They had eleven children. Six of them are alive. One of the children is Qiñuġana.
Vocabulary comparison
edit
The comparison of various vocabulary in four different dialects:
North Slope Iñupiaq
27
Northwest Alaska Iñupiaq
27
(Kobuk Malimiut)
King Island Iñupiaq
28
Qawiaraq Fish River dialect
29
atausiq
atausriq
atausiq
atauchiq
malġuk
malġuk
maġluuk
malġuk
piŋasut
piñasrut
piŋasut
piŋachut
sisamat
sisamat
sitamat
chitamat
tallimat
tallimat
tallimat
tallimat
itchaksrat
itchaksrat
aġvinikłit
aġvinilġit
tallimat malġuk
tallimat malġuk
tallimat maġluuk
malġunilġit
tallimat piŋasut
tallimat piñasrut
tallimat piŋasut
piŋachuŋilġit
quliŋuġutaiḷaq
quliŋŋuutaiḷaq
qulinŋutailat
quliŋŋuġutailat
qulit
qulit
qulit
qulit
10
qulit atausiq
qulit atausriq
qulit atausiq
qulit atauchiq
11
akimiaġutaiḷaq
akimiaŋŋutaiḷaq
agimiaġutailaq
akimiaġutailaq
14
akimiaq
akimiaq
agimiaq
akimiaq
15
iñuiññaŋŋutaiḷaq
iñuiñaġutaiḷaq
inuinaġutailat
inuinaġutailat
19
iñuiññaq
iñuiñaq
inuinaq
inuinaq
20
iñuiññaq qulit
iñuiñaq qulit
inuinaq qulit
inuinaq qulit
30
malġukipiaq
malġukipiaq
maġluutiviaq
40
tallimakipiaq
tallimakipiaq
tallimativiaq
100
kavluutit, malġuagliaq qulikipiaq
kavluutit
kabluutit
1000
nanuq
nanuq
taġukaq
nanuq
polar bear
ilisaurri
ilisautri
iskuuqti
ilichausriri
teacher
miŋuaqtuġvik
aglagvik
iskuuġvik
naaqiwik
school
aġnaq
aġnaq
aġnaq
aġnaq
woman
aŋun
aŋun
aŋun
aŋun
man
aġnaiyaaq
aġnauraq
niaqsaaġruk
niaqchiaġruk
girl
aŋutaiyaaq
aŋugauraq
ilagaaġruk
ilagaaġruk
boy
Tanik
Naluaġmiu
Naluaġmiu
Naluaġmiu
white person
ui
ui
ui
ui
husband
nuliaq
nuliaq
nuliaq
nuliaq
wife
panik
panik
panik
panik
daughter
iġñiq
iġñiq
qituġnaq
son
iglu
tupiq
ini
ini
house
tupiq
palapkaaq
palatkaaq, tuviq
tupiq
tent
qimmiq
qipmiq
qimugin
qimukti
dog
qavvik
qapvik
qappik
qaffik
wolverine
tuttu
tuttu
tuttu
tuttupiaq
caribou
tuttuvak
tiniikaq
tuttuvak, muusaq
moose
tulugaq
tulugaq
tiŋmiaġruaq
anaqtuyuuq
raven
ukpik
ukpik
ukpik
ukpik
snowy owl
tatqiq
tatqiq
taqqiq
taqqiq
moon/month
uvluġiaq
uvluġiaq
ubluġiaq
ubluġiaq
star
siqiñiq
siqiñiq
mazaq
machaq
sun
niġġivik
tiivlu, niġġivik
tiivuq, niġġuik
niġġiwik
table
uqautitaun
uqaqsiun
qaniqsuun
qaniqchuun
telephone
mitchaaġvik
mirvik
mizrvik
mirvik
airport
tiŋŋun
tiŋmisuun
silakuaqsuun
chilakuaqchuun
airplane
qai-
mauŋaq-
qai-
qai-
to come
pisuaq-
pisruk-
aġui-
aġui-
to walk
savak-
savak-
sawit-
chuli-
to work
nakuu-
nakuu-
naguu-
nakuu-
to be good
maŋaqtaaq
taaqtaaq
taaqtaaq
maŋaqtaaq, taaqtaaq
black
uvaŋa
uvaŋa
uaŋa
uaŋa, waaŋa
I, me
ilviñ
ilvich
iblin
ilvit
you (singular)
kiña
kiña
kina
kina
who
sumi
nani, sumi
nani
chumi
where
qanuq
qanuq
qanuġuuq
how
qakugu
qakugu
qagun
when (future)
ii
ii
ii'ii
ii, ii'ii
yes
naumi
naagga
naumi
naumi
no
paniqtaq
paniqtaq
paniqtuq
pipchiraq
dried fish or meat
saiyu
saigu
saayuq
chaiyu
tea
kuuppiaq
kuukpiaq
kuupiaq
kuupiaq
coffee
See also
edit
Inuit languages
Inuit-Yupik-Unangan languages
Edna Ahgeak MacLean
, a well-known Iñupiaq linguist
Iñupiat people
References
edit
"Uuktuun Iñupiuraallanikun 2020-miñ 2022-mun"
(PDF)
www.kipigniutit.org/
. Kipiġniuqtit Iñupiuraallanikun
. Retrieved
2023-09-11
Chappell, Bill (21 April 2014).
"Alaska OKs Bill Making Native Languages Official"
NPR
"Populations and Speakers | Alaska Native Language Center"
. Archived from
the original
on 2017-04-28
. Retrieved
2016-08-11
"Iñupiatun, North Alaskan"
Ethnologue
"Alaska's indigenous languages now official along with English"
Reuters
. 2016-10-24
. Retrieved
2017-02-19
"Sheldon Jackson in Historical Perspective"
www.alaskool.org
. Retrieved
2016-08-11
Krauss, Michael E. 1974. Alaska Native language legislation. International Journal of American Linguistics 40(2).150-52.
Naiden, Alena.
"Alaska Native linguists create a digital Inupiaq dictionary, combining technology, accessibility and language preservation"
Anchorage Daily News
. Retrieved
2025-10-09
D'oro, Rachel (2 September 2018).
"Facebook adds Alaska's Inupiaq as language option"
PBS NewsHour
. NewsHour Productions LLC
. Retrieved
3 December
2021
"Alaskan doctoral student creates Iñupiaq Wordle version"
. 22 February 2022.
"Wordle takes off — this time, in Iñupiaq"
Anchorage Daily News
"Iñupiaq/Inupiaq"
. languagegeek.com
. Retrieved
2007-09-28
Dorais, Louis-Jacques (2010).
The Language of the Inuit: Syntax, Semantics, and Society in the Arctic
. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 28.
ISBN
978-0-7735-3646-3
Burch 1980 Ernest S. Burch, Jr., Traditional Eskimo Societies in Northwest Alaska. Senri Ethnological Studies 4:253-304
Spencer 1959 Robert F. Spencer, The North Alaskan Eskimo: A study in ecology and society, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin, 171 : 1-490
aa
ab
ac
ad
ae
af
ag
ah
ai
aj
ak
MacLean, Edna Ahgeak (1986).
North Slope Iñupiaq Grammar: First Year
. Alaska Native Language Center, College of Liberal Arts; University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
ISBN
1-55500-026-6
Lowe, Ronald (1984).
Uummarmiut Uqalungiha Mumikhitchiȓutingit: Basic Uummarmiut Eskimo Dictionary
. Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada: Committee for Original Peoples Entitlement. pp.
xix–
xxii.
ISBN
0-9691597-1-4
Kaplan, Lawrence (1981).
Phonological Issues In North Alaska Iñupiaq
. Alaska Native Language Center, University of Fairbanks. p. 85.
ISBN
0-933769-36-9
aa
ab
ac
ad
ae
af
Lanz, Linda A. (2010).
A grammar of Iñupiaq morphosyntax
(PDF)
(Ph.D. thesis). Rice University.
hdl
1911/62097
Kaplan, Larry (1981).
North Slope Iñupiaq Literacy Manual
. Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Project Naming
Archived
2006-10-28 at the
Wayback Machine
, the identification of Inuit portrayed in photographic collections at Library and Archives Canada
Kaplan, Lawrence (2000). "L'Iñupiaq et les contacts linguistiques en Alaska". In Tersis, Nicole and Michèle Therrien (eds.),
Les langues eskaléoutes: Sibérie, Alaska, Canada, Groënland
, pages 91-108. Paris: CNRS Éditions. For an overview of Iñupiaq phonology, see pages 92-94.
Seiler, Wolf A. (2012).
Iñupiatun Eskimo Dictionary
(PDF)
. Sil Language and Culture Documentation and Descriptions. SIL International. pp. Appendix 7.
ISSN
1939-0785
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2014-05-28.
MacLean (2014)
Iñupiatun Uqaluit Taniktun Sivuninit
Iñupiaq to English Dictionary
, p. 840 ff
Clark, Bartley William (2014).
Iñupiatun Uqaluit Taniktun Sivuninit/Iñupiaq to English Dictionary
(11 ed.). Fairbanks: University of Alaska. pp.
831–
841.
ISBN
9781602232334
Ulrich, Alexis.
"Inupiaq numbers"
Of Languages and Numbers
"Interactive IñupiaQ Dictionary"
. Alaskool.org
. Retrieved
2012-08-23
"Ugiuvaŋmiuraaqtuaksrat / Future King Island Speakers"
. Ankn.uaf.edu. 2009-04-17
. Retrieved
2012-08-23
Agloinga, Roy (2013).
Iġałuiŋmiutullu Qawairaġmiutullu Aglait Nalaunaitkataat
. Atuun Publishing Company.
OBJ:object
INS:instrumental case
Print resources
edit
Barnum, Francis.
Grammatical Fundamentals of the Innuit Language As Spoken by the Eskimo of the Western Coast of Alaska
. Hildesheim: G. Olms, 1970.
Blatchford, DJ.
Just Like That!: Legends and Such, English to Iñupiaq Alphabet
. Kasilof, AK: Just Like That!, 2003.
ISBN
0-9723303-1-3
Bodfish, Emma, and David Baumgartner.
Iñupiat Grammar
. Utqiaġvigmi: Utqiaġvium minuaqtuġviata Iñupiatun savagvianni, 1979.
Kaplan, Lawrence D.
Phonological Issues in North Alaskan Iñupiaq
. Alaska Native Language Center research papers, no. 6. Fairbanks, Alaska (Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks 99701): Alaska Native Language Center, 1981.
Kaplan, Lawrence.
Iñupiaq Phrases and Conversations
. Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, 2000.
ISBN
1-55500-073-8
MacLean, Edna Ahgeak
Iñupiallu Tanņiḷḷu Uqaluņisa Iḷaņich = Abridged Iñupiaq and English Dictionary
. Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, 1980.
Lanz, Linda A.
A Grammar of Iñupiaq Morphosyntax
. Houston, Texas: Rice University, 2010.
MacLean, Edna Ahgeak.
Beginning North Slope Iñupiaq Grammar
. Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, 1979.
Seiler, Wolf A.
Iñupiatun Eskimo Dictionary
. Kotzebue, Alaska: NANA Regional Corporation, 2005.
Seiler, Wolf.
The Modalis Case in Iñupiat: (Eskimo of North West Alaska)
. Giessener Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft, Bd. 14. Grossen-Linden: Hoffmann, 1978.
ISBN
3-88098-019-5
Webster, Donald Humphry, and Wilfried Zibell.
Iñupiat Eskimo Dictionary
. 1970.
External links and language resources
edit
Inupiaq edition
of
Wikipedia
, the free encyclopedia
There are a number of online resources that can provide a sense of the language and information for second language learners.
Atchagat Pronunciation Video by Aqukkasuk
Alaskool Iñupiaq Language Resources
Animal Names in Brevig Mission Dialect
Atchagat App by Grant and Reid Magdanz—Allows you to text using Iñupiaq characters.
(For all Alaska Native languages, including Iñupiaq, see updated Chert app by the same developers.)
Dictionary of Iñupiaq, 1970 University of Fairbanks PDF by Webster
Endangered Alaskan Language Goes Digital
from National Public Radio
Iñupiaq Handbook for Teachers (A story of the Iñupiaq language and further resources)
University of Alaska Fairbanks Iñupiat Language Community Site
North Slope Grammar Second Year by Dr. Edna MacLean PDF
Online Iñupiaq morphological analyser
Storybook—The Teller Reader, A Collection of Stories in the Brevig Mission Dialect
Storybook—Quliaqtuat Mumiaksrat by Alaska Native Language Program, UAF and Dr. Edna MacLean
The dialects of Iñupiaq
- From Languagegeek.com, includes Northern Alaskan Consonants (US alphabet), Northern Alaskan Vowels, Seward Peninsula Consonants, Seward Peninsula Vowels
InupiaqWords YouTube account
Linda A. Lanz's Grammar of Iñupiaq (Malimiutun) Morphosyntax
— The majority of grammar introduced on this Wikipedia page is cited from this grammar. Lanz's explanations are very detailed and thorough—a great source for gaining a more in-depth understanding of Iñupiaq grammar.
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topics
Language Spoken at Home
Languages of Alaska
Indigenous
Eskaleut
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Yupik
Alutiiq
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Siberian Yupik
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Category
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Eskaleut languages
Aleut
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Qawiaraq
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Alutiiq
Central Alaskan
Yugtun
Nunivak Cup'ig
Chevak Cup’ik
Central Siberian
Chaplino
St. Lawrence Island
Naukan
Sirenik
See also
Proto-Eskaleut
Proto-Eskimoan
Inuktitut syllabics
Inuit phonology
Inuit grammar
Iñupiaq Braille
Kaktovik numerals
Yugtun script
Italics
indicate
extinct languages
1: The Inuit language 'family' is a continuum of dialects
2: Some linguists classify Sirenik as under a separate branch
Indigenous languages of the Americas with Wikipedia
Item
Label/en
native label
Code
distribution map
number of speakers, writers, or signers
UNESCO language status
Ethnologue language status
?itemwiki
Q36806
Southern Quechua
qu:Urin Qichwa
qu:Qhichwa
qu:Qichwa
qu
6000000
2 vulnerable
Quechua Wikipedia
Q35876
Guarani
gn:Avañe'ẽ
gn
4850000
1 safe
1 National
Guarani Wikipedia
Q4627
Aymara
ay:Aymar aru
ay
4000000
2 vulnerable
Aymara Wikipedia
Q13300
Nahuatl
nah:Nawatlahtolli
nah:nawatl
nah:mexkatl
nah
1925620
2 vulnerable
Nahuatl Wikipedia
Q891085
Wayuu
guc:Wayuunaiki
guc
300000
2 vulnerable
5 Developing
Wayuu Wikipedia
Q33730
Mapudungun
arn:Mapudungun
arn
300000
3 definitely endangered
6b Threatened
Mapuche Wikipedia
Q13310
Navajo
nv:Diné bizaad
nv:Diné
nv
169369
2 vulnerable
6b Threatened
Navajo Wikipedia
Q25355
Greenlandic
kl:Kalaallisut
kl
56200
2 vulnerable
1 National
Greenlandic Wikipedia
Q29921
Inuktitut
ike-cans:ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ
iu:Inuktitut
iu
39770
2 vulnerable
Inuktitut Wikipedia
Q33388
Cherokee
chr:ᏣᎳᎩ ᎧᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ
chr:ᏣᎳᎩ
chr
12300
4 severely endangered
8a Moribund
Cherokee Wikipedia
Q33390
Cree
cr:ᐃᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔨᒧᐎᓐ'
cr:nēhiyawēwin
cr
10875
8040
Cree Wikipedia
Q32979
Choctaw
cho:Chahta anumpa
cho:Chahta
cho
9200
2 vulnerable
6b Threatened
Choctaw Wikipedia
Q56590
Atikamekw
atj:Atikamekw Nehiromowin
atj:Atikamekw
atj
6160
2 vulnerable
5 Developing
Atikamekw Wikipedia
Q27183
Iñupiaq
ik:Iñupiatun
ik
5580
4 severely endangered
Inupiat Wikipedia
Q523014
Muscogee
mus:Mvskoke
mus
4300
3 definitely endangered
7 Shifting
Muscogee Wikipedia
Q33265
Cheyenne
chy:Tsêhesenêstsestôtse
chy
2400
3 definitely endangered
8a Moribund
Cheyenne Wikipedia
Authority control databases
International
GND
National
United States
Israel
Other
Yale LUX
Retrieved from "
Categories
Agglutinative languages
Polysynthetic languages
Inupiat language
Indigenous languages of Alaska
Languages of Russia
Indigenous languages of the North American Arctic
Official languages of Alaska
Hidden categories:
Webarchive template wayback links
Articles with short description
Short description is different from Wikidata
Languages with ISO 639-2 code
Languages with ISO 639-1 code
ISO language articles citing sources other than Ethnologue
Pages with Inupiaq IPA
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from September 2022
Articles containing Inupiaq-language text
Lang and lang-xx code promoted to ISO 639-1
Pages with plain IPA
Pages with interlinear glosses using more than three unnamed parameters
All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases
Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from February 2012
Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018
Articles with ambiguous glossing abbreviations
Iñupiaq language
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