Difference between revisions of "Inuktitut phrasebook"

Latest revision as of 05:28, 30 September 2010

Inuktitut is the name for the varieties of Inuit spoken in Canada. It is an Eskimo-Aleut language that known for being a language with lots of very long agglutinative words, owing to the fact that there are a very large number of infixes (parts of speech which modify the meaning of a word), but it does not have the same irregularities as Indo-European languages. There is also a rumour that the language has hundreds of different words for snow, in reality there are only four (these four are: spread-out snow - aput, snow like salt - pokaktok, newly-drifted snow - akelrorak and soft snow - mauyaôlertok). There are a few (not hundreds) of words relating to snow eg. snow block (auverk), igloo (iglu), snow knife (panar), snow on clothes, boots etc. (ayak).

[edit] Pronunciation Guide

[edit] Vowels

A a 

Like "a" in "cat".

E e 

Like "e" in "bet".

I i 

Like "ee" in "feet".

O o 

Like "o" in "hot".

U u 

Like "u" in "put".

[edit] Consonants

D d 

Like "d" in "dad".

G g 

Like "g" in "get".

J j 

Like "y" in "yet".

K k 

Like "k" in "oak".

L l 

Like "l" in "let".

M m 

Like "m" in "man".

N n 

Like "n" in "no".

P p 

Like "p" in "pan".

Q q 

Like "c" in "car".

R r 

Like "r" in "road".

S s 

Like "sh" in "shot".

T t 

Like "t" in "stop".

W w 

Like "w" in "wet".

Y y 

Like "y" in "yet".

[edit] Common dipthongs

kr 

Like "k" in "king" but pronounced deep in the throat. Like "cr" in "cream".

ng 

Like "ng" in "sing".

dlerk 

Like "ts lurk" in "cats lurk".

[edit] Phrase list

Hello. 

Ai. (Ey)

How are you? 

Qanuipit? (Kan-oo-ee-peet)

Fine, thank you. 

Qaniungi. (Kan-ee-oo-ngee)

What is your name? 

Kinauvit? (Keen-a-oo-veet?)

My name is ______ . 

Uvanga _____ativa (Oov-a-nga _____at-ee-va)

Nice to meet you. 

Nice to meet you. (NIGHSS t' meet YOO)

Please. 

Please. (pleez)

Thank you. 

Naqurmiik. (Nak-urm-eek)

You're welcome. 

Ilaali. (Eel-a-lee)

Yes. 

Î. (Ee)

No. 

Nakka. (Nak-a)

Excuse me. (getting attention) 

Excuse me. (ehkz-KYOOZ mee)

Excuse me. (begging pardon) 

Excuse me. (ehkz-KYOOZ mee)

I'm sorry. 

Ogguarpunga. (Og-oo-ar-pu-nga)

Goodbye (to one person)

Tavvauvutit. (Tav-a-oov-oo-teet)

Goodbye (to many people)

Tavvauvusi. (Tav-a-oov-oo-see)

I can't speak Inuktitut [well]. 

I can't speak Inuktitut [well]. (IGH cant speek IN-ook-tee-toot [wehl])

Do you speak English? 

Do you speak English? (doo YOO speek ING-lush?)

Is there someone here who speaks English? 

Is there someone here who speaks English? (IZ thayr SUM-wun heer hoo speekz ING-lush?)

Help! 

Ikajunga! (Ee-ka-yu-nga!)

Look out! 

Look out! (look OWT!)

Good morning. 

Ulaakut. (Ool-ak-oot)

Good evening. 

Good evening. (guhd EEV-ning)

Good night. 

Unnukkut. (Oon-oo-koot)

Good night (to sleep) 

Good night. (good NIGHT)

I don't understand. 

Tukisinngittung. (Too-kees-ee-ng-toong)

Where is the toilet? 

Where is the toilet? (WAYR iz thuh TOY-leht?)

[edit] Problems

[edit] Numbers

[edit] Numbers(system in the Greenlandic)

½ - helvä

0 - nul

1 - äts

2 - mare

3 - pen

4 - sisa

5 - tela

6 - arit

7 - arimare

8 - aripen

9 - arisisa

10 - gelu

11 - aqnat

12 - aqnamare

13 - aqnapen

14 - aqnasisa

15 - aqnatel

16 - asut

17 - asumare

18 - asupen

19 - asusisa

20 - marghi

30 - marghâtgelut

40 - penghi

50 - penghâtgelut

60 - sisughi

70 - sisughâtgelut

80 - telaghi

90 - telaghâtgelut

100 - hontrat

200 - mare-hontræt

500 - pen-hontræt

1000 - tuszint

2000 - mare-tuszænt

5000 - pen-tuszænt

10000 - gelu-tuszænt

100000 - huntrat-tuszænt

1000000 - äts-milyin

[edit] Time

[edit] Clock time

[edit] Duration

[edit] Days

[edit] Months

[edit] Writing time and date

[edit] Colors

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Bus and train

[edit] Directions

[edit] Taxi

[edit] Lodging

[edit] Money

[edit] Eating

[edit] Bars

[edit] Shopping

[edit] Driving

[edit] Authority