Dialogue: Shorter and Taller
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Vocabulary
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mikiřuq
small (it is...)
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angiȓuq
big (it is...)
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takiřuq
tall (he/she/it is...)
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aŋitqiřaq
taller
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naittuq
short
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naitqiřaq
shorter
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shorter (it's...)
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angitqiřauřuq
taller (he/she/it is...)
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ikiqtuuq
wide (it is...)
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ikirahak
narrow (it is...)
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thick (it is...)
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thin (it is...)
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crooked; it is not straight
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straight (it is...)
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high (it is...)
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low (it is...)
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shallow (it is...)
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deep (it is...)
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taaqtuq
dark (it is...)
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pittauřuq
good (it is...)
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iktariktuq
heavy (it is...)
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uqittuq
light (it is not heavy)
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Grammar
38 » Describing People & Things
| takiřuq | (someone/something) tall; he/she/it is tall |
| iktariktuq | (something) heavy; it is heavy |
| akituřuq | (something) expensive; it is expensive |
| naittuq | (someone/something) short; he/she/it is short |
| pittauřuq | (something) good; it is good |
At first glance, these words behave like verbs. We can change the ending to dual or plural and get:
| takiřuuk | They (2) are tall. |
| takiřut | They (3+) are tall. |
| iktariktuuk | They (2) are heavy. |
| iktariktut | They (3+) are heavy. |
These descriptive words must reflect the number of the word that they describe:
| Qaritaujaq akituřuq. | The computer is expensive. |
| Qaritaujaak akituřuuk. | The two computers are expensive. |
| Qaritaujait akituřut. | The computers (3+) are expensive. |
in other ways these descriptive words behave like nouns. You can, for example add noun endings to the words above:
| mikiřumik | a small one; a little bit |
| angiřumi | in the big one |
| naittumut | to the short one |
When these words describe a person or thing ending in -mik, they also have to take -mik:
| Ujaraq iktariktuq. | The rock is heavy. |
| ujaramik iktariktumik | a heavy rock |
When we use descriptive words to talk about you or me, we also have to add the verb affix -u- which is only used after noun roots:
| takijuq + u + jutit = | |
| takijuuřutit | You are tall. |
| naittuq + u + junga = | |
| naittuuřunga | I am short. |
| iglurřuaq | the big house |
| talurřuaq | Taloyoak (litterally, 'big caribou blind’) |
| iglunnuaq | a small house |
| tahinnuaq | a small lake |
39 » Comparing People and Things
The affixes -tqiřaq- and -niqšaq- can be added to a describing root to indicate someone or something is more of the quality it descibes. -niqšaq- can also be used if you want to say that someone or something is 'the most...'
| angiřuq | He/she/it is big. |
| angitqiřaq | He/she/it is bigger. |
| itiřuq | It is deep. |
| itiniqšaq | It is deeper / the deepest |
| naittuq | It is short; the short one |
| naitqiřaq | It is shorter / the shortest |
| nainniqšaq | It is shorter / the shortest |
| iktariktuq | It is heavy; the heavy one |
| iktaritqiřaq | It is heavier. |
| iktaringniqšaq | It is heavier / the heaviest |
| taki + tqiřaq + u + va? = | |
| takitqiřauva? | Is he/she taller? |
| taki + niqšaq + u + řutit = | |
| takiniqšauřutit | You are the tallest. |
| Aanimit takitqiřaq. | He/she is taller than Annie. |
| uvanga | me |
| uvamnit | than me |
| Uvamnit takiniqšauřutit. | You are taller than me. |
| ilvit | you |
| ilingnit | than you |
| Kinali ilingnit taktqiřauva? | And who is taller than you? |
| iliptik | you (2) |
| iliptingnit | than the two of you |
| iliffi | you (3+) |
| iliffingnit | than you (3+) |
40 » Simultaneous Actions
Inuktut has a set of verb endings to join an event with another event happening at the same time.
| Pihulauqtunga niriblunga. | I walked as I ate. |
| Uqalimaaqłuni hinililauqtuq | While he was reading, he fell asleep. |
Here is a complete list of these verb endings:
| niriblunga | while I was eating... |
| niriblutit | while you were eating ... |
| niribluni | while he was eating ... |
| niriblunuk | while we (2) were eating ... |
| niribluta | while we (3+) were eating ... |
| niriblutik | while you (2) were eating... |
| niribluhi | while you (3+) were eating ... |
| niriblutik | while they (2) were eating ... |
| niriblutik | while they (3+) were eating ... |
The affixes above are used with verbs that end in a vowel. When working with a verb that ends in a consonant, the beginning of the affix changes from bl to ł:
| uqaq- | to speak |
| uqaqłunga | while I was speaking ... |
| uqaqłutit | while you were speaking ... |
| uqaqłuni | while he was speaking ... |
| uqaqłunuk | while we (2) were speaking ... |
| uqaqłuta | while we (3+) were speaking ... |
| uqaqłutik | whie you (2) were speaking |
| uqaqłuhi | while you (3+) were speaking ... |
| uqaqłutik | While they (2) were speaking ... |
| uqaqłutik | While they (3+) were speaking ... |
Important: All of the above endings are used when the two actions that appear in a sentence are performed by the same person.
| Pihukłuni tikilauqtuq | He arrived walking. |
| Aniblunga takulauqtara | As I was going out, I saw him/her/it. |
If we want to describe two actions happening at the same time that were performed by different people we add ti- before the ending:
| Uqalimaaqtillutit hinililauqtut | While you were speaking, they fell asleep. |
| Aullaqhimatilluta hugalauqpit? | When we were away, what did you do? |
In both of the above sentences, the two verbs are being performed by different people.
The -ti- ending can be directly added to a root ending in a verb or a consonant without affecting the spelling.
There is one form of this verb ending that is irregular.
| -bluni becomes -tillugu | |
| Niritillugu miqhulauqtuq. | While he ate she sewed. |
Here is a complete set of the endings beginning with ti-
| aullaqhimatillunga | while I was away...(you/he/she/they)... |
| aullaqhimatillutit | while you were eating ...(I/he/she/they)... |
| aullaqhimatillugu | while he was eating ...(I/you/we/they)... |
| aullaqhimatillunuk | while we (2) were eating ...(you/he/she/they)... |
| aullaqhimatilluta | while we (3+) were eating ...(you/he/she/they)... |
| aullaqhimatillutik | while you (2) were eating...(I/he/she/they)... |
| aullaqhimatilluhi | while you (3+) were eating ...(I/he/she/they)... |
| aullaqhimatillutik | while they (2) were eating ...(I/you/he/she)... |
| aullaqhimatillutik | while they (3+) were eating ...(I/you/he/she)... |
