Grammar » 33 » Locations

Inuktut speakers are precise when talking about where things are located.  There is a long list of locations to master.  The first thing to remember is that there are different workds to indicate a person or objects is in a specific spot versus a general area:

uvani (right) here
maani in this area
   
ikani over there (specific spot)
avani over there (general area)
   
pikani up there (specific spot)
paani up there (general area)
   
kanani down there (specific spot)
unani down there (general area)

There are no set rules that will help you to decide when to use one term over the other. A lot depends on context. For example, both uvani / maani could refer to very large areas:

uvani right here (in Iqaluit)
maani here (in Nunavut)

or they could each refer to much smaller spaces:

uvani right here in this spot
maani in this building

 The best advice is to learn these terms as pairs and then listen carefully to fluent speakers to hear how they are used in coversation.

2. These locational words will often be heard with the prefix ta- which indicates that a location has already been mentioned or implied in the conversation:

basic form with ta-prefix English equivalent
uvani tavvani right here
maani tamaani around here
ikani taikani over there (specific spot)
avani taavani over there (general area)
pikani tapikani up there (specific spot)
paani tapaani up there (general area)
kanani takanani down there (specific spot)
unani taunani down there (general area)

 

3. Note that all of the terms in the table above end with the affix -ni , meaning that the person/object described is in or at a place.

To talk about motion towards a specific spot we replace the -ni ending with -unga:

towards a location English equivalent
tavvunga to here (specific spot)
tamaunga to here (more general area)
taavunga to there (specific spot)
taikunga to there (more general area)
tappikunga up to there (specific spot)
tappaunga up there (general area)
takanunga down to there (specific spot)
taununga down to there (more general area)

 

4. If we replace the ending with -anngat, we can talk about motion away from a place:.

away from a location English equivalent
strong>tavvanngat from here (specific spot)
tamaanngat from here (more general area)
taavanngat from there (specific spot)
taikanngat from there (more general area)
tappikanngat from to there (specific spot)
tappaanngat from there (general area)
takananngat from down there (specific spot)
taunanngat from down there (more general area)

 

5. And, if we replace the ending with -(u)una, we can talk about motion through a space:

through a location English equivalent
tavvuuna from here (specific spot)
tamauna from here (more general area)
taavuuna from there (specific spot)
taikuuna from there (more general area)
tappikuuna from to there (specific spot)
tappauna from there (general area)
takanuuna from down there (specific spot)
taunuuna from down there (more general area)