Culture & Etiquette

1. ᐃᓄᐃᑦ

   I-nu-it

   Inuit (the people)

   Usage

   The word for the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic. It also means "people"

   Grammar Note

   Inuit is the plural of inuk ("person"). It is the people's own name for themselves; avoid the word "Eskimo"

2. ᐃᒡᓗᕕᒐᖅ

   Ig-lu-vi-gaq

   Igloo (snowhouse)

   Usage

   A traditional house built from blocks of snow, once used as a shelter on hunting trips

   Grammar Note

   Iglu means "house". Igluvigaq refers specifically to a house made of snow

3. ᖁᓪᓕᖅ

   Qul-liq

   qulliq (seal-oil lamp)

   Usage

   A crescent-shaped lamp that burns seal oil, traditionally used for heat, light and cooking

   Grammar Note

   A plain noun. It is a symbol of Inuit culture and appears on Nunavut emblems

4. ᐊᒪᐅᑎ

   A-ma-u-ti

   amauti (parka with a pouch for carrying a child)

   Usage

   A woman's traditional parka with a pouch on the back for carrying a child

   Grammar Note

   A plain noun. The fur trim around the hood is called nuila

5. ᑲᒦᒃ

   Ka-miik

   kamiik (skin boots)

   Usage

   Traditional warm boots made from sealskin or caribou skin. The ending is dual because boots come as a pair

   Grammar Note

   A word ending in -k is a dual ("two"). For three or more pairs it becomes kamiit

6. ᐅᓗ

   U-lu

   ulu (crescent-shaped knife)

   Usage

   A crescent-shaped knife used for cutting skins and preparing meat

   Grammar Note

   A plain noun. It is sold as a souvenir, but as a blade it should go in checked luggage

7. ᑲᑭᕙᒃ

   Ka-ki-vak

   kakivak (fishing spear)

   Usage

   A three-pronged spear for fishing, traditionally used through a hole in the ice

   Grammar Note

   A plain noun

8. ᓄᓇᓕᒃ

   Nu-na-lik

   Community

   Usage

   What people in Nunavut call their own town or settlement. Each settlement is a community

   Grammar Note

   Built from nuna ("land") + -lik ("having"): a place with land, that is, a settlement

9. ᐃᓄᒃᓯᐅᑎᓂᒃ

   I-nuk-si-u-ti-nik

   Inuit country food

   Usage

   A general term for traditional foods from the land and sea, such as hunted meat and fish

   Grammar Note

   The ending -nik is the object form ("something"), used in sentences such as "I would like to eat..."

10. ᓇᓄᒥᓂᖅᑐᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕕᑦ?

    Na-nu-mi-niq-tu-la-uq-si-ma-vit?

    Have you eaten polar bear meat before?

    Usage

    Asks about someone's experience in a talk about local food culture. Hunting is an important part of Inuit life

    Grammar Note

    Nanuminiq is "polar bear meat". -lauqsimavit means "have you ever...?" and is asked of one person

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