14 Timi

In English, when we want to give a reason for something, we add a clause to a sentence that usually begins with the word “because”:

We are leaving because we are tired.

In Inuktut the clause that is underlined above is usually represented in one word. This word has a special ending that lets us know who we are talking about: 

anijjaanngittunga niaqunngugama

I am not going out because I have a headache.

 

Here is a list of these endings:

singular verb endings
niaqunngugama	because I have a headache
niaqunngugavit	because you (1) have a headache
niaqunngugami /niaqunngummat *	because he / she has a headache
dual verb endings
niaqunngugannuk	because we (2) have headaches
niaqunngugatsik	because you (2) have headaches
niaqunngugamik /niaqunngummatik*	because they (2) have headaches
plural verb endings
niaqunngugatta	because we (3+) have headaches
niaqunngugatsi	because you (3+) have headaches
niaqunngugamik /niaqunngummata*	because they (3+) have headaches

* Notice in the third person (he/she/it/they) that there are two options:

The endings -gami and -gamik can only be used if the two verbs in the sentence involve the same person:

Piita aullalaunngittuq qanimagami.

Peter didn’t travel because he (Peter) is sick.

If thre is a change in who you are speaking about in the sentence, the endings -mmat, -mmatik and -mmata must be used:

Piita aullalaunngittuq qiturnganga qanimammat.

Peter didn’t travel because his child is sick.

 

All of the above endings can also be used to express the idea in English of 'when something happened...’ (in the past):

Tikiqqaummata niriqqaujugut.	When they arrived, we ate.
Aullalauratta sinilauqtut.	When we depated, they were sleeping.

 

Adding these endings to stems ending in -k :

• Working with the endings above, the first letter of the endings that begin in g- changes to k-
• The endings above that begin with m- do not change.  They delete the final -k of the stem:

nuvak-	to have a cold
nuvakkama	because / when I have a cold
nuvakkavit	because / when you (1) have a cold
nuvakkami / nuvammat	because / when he / she has a cold
nuvakkannuk	because / when we (2) have colds
nuvakkatsik	because / when you (2) have colds
nuvakkamik / nuvammatik	because / when they (2) have colds
nuvakkatta	because / when we (3+) have colds
nuvakkatsi	because / when you (3+) have colds
nuvakkamik / nuvammata	because / when they (3+) have colds

 

Adding these verb endings to stems ending in -t :

• The last letter of the root and the first letter of the affix both change to n-.
• The endings that begin in m- are unchanged. They delete the final -t of the root :

tikit-	to arrive
tikikkama	because / when I arrived
tikikkavit	because / when you  (1) arrived
tikikkami / tikimmat	because / when he / she arrived
tikikkannuk	because / when we (2) arrived
tikikkatsik	because / when you (2) arrived
tikikkatik / tikimmatik	because they (2) arrived
tikikkatta	because we (3+) arrived
tikikkatsi	because / when you (3+) arrived
tikikkamik / tikimmata	because they (3+) arrived

 

Adding these verb endings to roots ending in -q :

The last consonant of the stem is deleted and the affix begins with r:

nuvak + lauq-	to have had a cold
nuvalaurama	because / when I had a cold
nuvalauravit	because / when you (1) had a cold
nuvalaurami / nuvalaurmat	because / when he/she had a cold
nuvalaurannuk	because / when we (2) had colds
nuvalauratsik	because / when you (2) had colds
nuvalauramik / nuvalaurmatik	because / when you (2) had colds
nuvalauratta	because we (3+) had colds
nuvalauratsi	because / when they (3+) had colds
nuvalauramik / nuvalaurmata	because / when they (3+) had colds