ᕿᒻᒥᖅ
Qim-miq
Dog
Usage
Names the dog. Many dogs in the Arctic are working animals such as sled dogs, so do not approach or pet one without the owner's permission
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Dog-team gear has its own words, such as the harness ᐊᓄ and the whip ᐃᐸᕋᐅᑦ
ᓇᓄᖅ
Na-nuq
Polar bear
Usage
Names the polar bear. It is dangerous outside the settlement, so ask locals about conditions before going far
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The hide is ᓇᓄᕋᖅ and the meat is ᓇᓄᒥᓂᖅ, so the word changes with what is meant
ᑐᑦᑐ
Tut-tu
Caribou
Usage
Names the caribou, the wild reindeer of the Arctic. It is central to northern life and food
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Caribou meat is ᑐᑦᑐᒥᓂᖅ
ᐊᐃᕕᖅ
A-i-viq
Walrus
Usage
Names the walrus, the big-tusked sea animal that is also hunted locally
Grammar Note
A plain noun. ᐊ (a) and ᐃ (i) are written as two separate syllables
ᓇᑦᓯᖅ
Nat-siq
Ringed seal
Usage
Names the ringed seal, the most familiar seal in the far north and an important food
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The meat is ᓇᑦᓯᒥᓂᖅ
ᐅᔾᔪᒃ
Uj-juk
Bearded seal
Usage
Names the bearded seal, a large seal recognised by its whiskers
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Each kind of seal has its own word
ᖃᐃᕈᓕᒃ
Qa-i-ru-lik
Harp seal
Usage
Names the harp seal, the kind with a harp-shaped mark on its back
Grammar Note
A plain noun. ᖃ (qa) and ᐃ (i) are written as two separate syllables
ᖃᓯᒋᐊᖅ
Qa-si-gi-aq
Harbour seal
Usage
Names the harbour seal, a small spotted seal
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The glossary translates it as harbour seal
ᕿᓚᓗᒐᖅ
Qi-la-lu-gaq
Beluga
Usage
Names the beluga. In some dialects the same word means the narwhal
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Here it means the beluga. To be sure of the narwhal, say ᑑᒑᓖᒃ
ᑑᒑᓖᒃ
Tuu-gaa-liik
Narwhal
Usage
Names the narwhal, the whale with the long tusk
Grammar Note
A plain noun. It has three long-vowel letters (ᑑ ᒑ ᓖ) in a row, so do not swap them for short ones
ᐊᕐᕕᒃ
Ar-vik
Bowhead whale
Usage
Names the bowhead whale, the great whale of Arctic waters
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Its root is close to the place name ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ (Arviat)
ᐋᕐᓗᒃ
Aar-luk
Orca
Usage
Names the orca. A word to call out when you spot one on a whale-watching trip
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Keep the initial long vowel ᐋ (aa) and do not write the short ᐊ
ᐊᒪᕈᖅ
A-ma-ruq
Wolf
Usage
Names the wolf. If you see a wild animal, keep your distance
Grammar Note
A plain noun. It is a different word from ᕿᒻᒥᖅ, the dog
ᑎᕆᒐᓂᐊᖅ
Ti-ri-ga-ni-aq
Arctic fox
Usage
Names the Arctic fox, the small fox whose coat turns white in winter
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The start resembles ᑎᕆᐊᖅ, the weasel, so take care
ᐅᑲᓕᖅ
U-ka-liq
Arctic hare
Usage
Names the Arctic hare, the white hare you may spot in the snow
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The glossary translates it as Arctic hare
ᐅᒥᒻᒪᒃ
U-mim-mak
Muskox
Usage
Names the muskox, a large animal with a long shaggy coat, often seen in herds
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Its wool is ᐅᒥᒻᒪᕋᔭᒃ
ᖃᕝᕕᒃ
Qav-vik
Wolverine
Usage
Names the wolverine, a strong animal of the northern forests and tundra
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Do not mix ᖃᕝᕕᒃ up with ᓴᕝᕕᒃ, the chest
ᐊᕕᙵᖅ
A-vi-nngaq
Lemming
Usage
Names the lemming, the small tundra rodent
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The computer mouse, ᐊᕕᙵᙳᐊᖅ, is this word plus a "likeness" ending
ᓯᒃᓯᒃ
Sik-sik
Arctic ground squirrel
Usage
Names the Arctic ground squirrel, a small animal seen near its burrow on the summer tundra
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The syllable ᓯᒃ is repeated twice
ᑐᓗᒐᖅ
Tu-lu-gaq
Raven
Usage
Names the raven, a large black bird that stays in the north through winter
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The general word for birds is ᑎᒻᒥᐊᑦ
ᐅᑉᐱᒃ
Up-pik
Snowy owl
Usage
Names the snowy owl, the large owl with white plumage
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The glossary translates it as snowy owl
ᐊᕿᒡᒋᖅ
A-qig-giq
Ptarmigan
Usage
Names the ptarmigan, the chicken-like bird whose plumage turns white in winter
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The final-g sign ᒡ combines with the next ᒋ (gi) to give a double g
ᓂᕐᓕᒃ
Nir-lik
Canada goose
Usage
Names the Canada goose, the large waterbird that migrates north in spring
Grammar Note
A plain noun. It is a different bird from the snow goose, ᑲᖑᖅ
ᑲᖑᖅ
Ka-nguq
Snow goose
Usage
Names the snow goose, the goose with white plumage and black wingtips
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The glossary translates it as snow goose
ᓇᐅᔭᖅ
Na-u-jaq
Seagull
Usage
Names the seagull, a bird common around harbours and shores
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The plural, ᓇᐅᔮᑦ, is also the community name Naujaat
ᒥᑎᖅ
Mi-tiq
Duck
Usage
Names the duck, usable as a general word for the waterfowl of lakes and shores
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The glossary translates it as duck
ᑲᓪᓗᓕᒃ
Kal-lu-lik
Arctic loon
Usage
Names the Arctic loon, a diving waterbird whose call carries over the lakes
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Each kind of loon has its own word, and this one is the Arctic loon
ᐊᒃᐸ
Ak-pa
Murre
Usage
Names the murre, the seabird that nests in large colonies on coastal cliffs
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The glossary translates it as murre
ᐃᒥᖅᑯᑕᐃᓚᖅ
I-miq-ku-ta-i-laq
Arctic tern
Usage
Names the Arctic tern, a swift white bird seen on summer shores and islands
Grammar Note
A plain noun. It is a fairly long word, so read it syllable by syllable
ᐃᖃᓗᒃ
I-qa-luk
Fish
Usage
Names a fish. A general word for any kind, and the root of the name Iqaluit
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Fish as food, a dead fish for eating, is ᐃᖃᓗᒥᓂᖅ
ᐆᒐᖅ
Uu-gaq
Cod
Usage
Names the cod, a fish of the northern seas
Grammar Note
A plain noun. Keep the initial long vowel ᐆ (uu) and do not write the short ᐅ
ᑭᖑᑉᐸᒃ
Ki-ngup-pak
Shrimp
Usage
Names the shrimp, a small sea crustacean
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The glossary translates it as shrimp
ᐊᒻᒨᒪᔪᖅ
Am-muu-ma-juq
Clam
Usage
Names the clam, the shellfish dug up from the sand at low tide
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The phrase for going clam digging is built on this word
ᐅᕕᓗᖅ
U-vi-luq
Mussel
Usage
Names the mussel, the shellfish that clings to rocks along the shore
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The glossary translates it as mussel
ᐃᒍᑦᓴᖅ
I-gut-saq
Insect or bee
Usage
Names an insect or a bee. Handy when bugs bother you on the summer tundra
Grammar Note
A plain noun. It serves for insects in general and for bees, so context decides
ᑎᒻᒥᐊᑦ
Tim-mi-at
Birds
Usage
The general word for birds. Use it when you do not know the kind you have spotted
Grammar Note
A noun whose dictionary form is the plural (-t). Each kind of bird has its own separate word
ᐆᒪᔪᖅ
Uu-ma-juq
Animal
Usage
The general word for an animal. Use it when you do not know the name of the kind
Grammar Note
A plain noun. The word for an area where wildlife is hunted, ᐆᒪᔪᖅᓯᐅᕐᕕᒃ, is built from it
ᓇᓄᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕕᑦ?
Na-nur-mik Ta-ku-la-uq-si-ma-vit?
Have you ever seen a polar bear?
Usage
A question that starts a conversation with locals: have they ever seen a polar bear
Grammar Note
The verb "see" in a past-experience form with the second-person question ending -vit. The object ending -mik marks "a polar bear" as the thing seen
More Inuktitut phrases
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