Misplaced Pages

Inuinnaqtun
ᐃᓄᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᓐ‎
Pronunciation
Native to	Canada (Nunavut and Northwest Territories)
Native speakers	1,310 (2016 census)
Language family	Eskaleut Eskimo Inuit Inuvialuktun Inuinnaqtun
Early forms	Proto-Eskimo–Aleut Proto-Eskimo Proto-Inuit
Official status
Official language in	Nunavut Northwest Territories
Regulated by	Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Language codes
ISO 639-1	iu
ISO 639-2	iku Inuktitut
ISO 639-3	ikt Inuinnaqtun, Western Canadian Inuktitut
Glottolog	copp1244
Inuit dialects. Inuinnaqtun is olive green.
Inuinnaqtun is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Inuinnaqtun (Inuinnaqtun: ᐃᓄᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᓐ‎, IPA: [inuinːɑqtun]; natively meaning 'like the real human beings/peoples'), is an Inuit language. It is spoken in the central Canadian Arctic. It is related very closely to Inuktitut, and some scholars, such as Richard Condon, believe that Inuinnaqtun is more appropriately classified as a dialect of Inuktitut. The government of Nunavut recognises Inuinnaqtun as an official language in addition to Inuktitut, and together sometimes referred to as Inuktut. It is spoken in the Northwest Territories as well and is recognised as an official language of the territory in addition to Inuvialuktun and Inuktitut.

Inuinnaqtun is used primarily in the communities of Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk and Gjoa Haven in the Kitikmeot Region 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 except in Gjoa Haven, where Inuit syllabics are used (as for Natsilingmiutut).

Inuinnaqtun phrases

See also

• Natsilingmiutut
• Utkuhiksalik

References

1. "Census in Brief: The Aboriginal languages of First Nations people, Métis and Inuit". www12.statcan.gc.ca. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
2. ^ Official Languages Act, S.Nu. 2008, c. 10, s. 3(1) with Inuit Language Protection Act, S.Nu. 2008, c. 17, s. 1(2).
3. ^ Official Languages Act, RSNWT 1988, c. O-1, s. 4 in its 2003 version; PWNHC: Official Languages of the Northwest Territories Archived 2021-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
4. Condon, Richard; Julia Ogina; The Holman Elders (1996). "Foreword". The Northern Copper Inuit. University of Toronto Press/University of Oklahoma Press. p. xix. ISBN 0-8020-0849-6. Retrieved 2011-02-09. ...the majority of Holman residents speak the central Arctic dialect, Inuinnaqtun...
5. "We Speak Inuktut". Archived from the original on 2023-08-16. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
6. "Let's Speak Inuinnaqtun - About Us". Retrieved 2021-02-27.
7. Inuvialuit Cultural Centre: Inuvialuit Digital Library – Language Resources
8. CBC Original Voices: Inuinnaqtun

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. : 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: Inuinnaqtun Word List
• Inuinnaqtun-English Dictionary (1996)
• Tuhaalanga: Learn Inuinnaqtun On-line
• Service Book of the Western Eskimos for Use in the Diocese of Mackenzie River Anglican liturgical text in Inuinnaqtun

v t e Eskaleut languages
Aleut	Aleut Mednyj Aleut
Eskimoan	Inuit Greenlandic Kalaallisut Tunumiit Inuktitut North Baffin Inuttitut Inuktun Inuvialuktun Siglitun Aivilik Inuinnaqtun Kangiryuarmiutun Kivalliq Netsilik Utkuhiksalik Iñupiaq (Iñupiaq Braille) Qawiaraq Uummarmiutun Yupik 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 (writing system) Inuit phonology Inuit grammar 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

• Agglutinative languages
• Inuvialuit languages
• Indigenous languages of the North American Arctic
• Copper Inuit
• Inuktitut words and phrases