When I was in the Rankin Inlet airport last Tuesday morning, I said matna –MAAT-nah for thank-you, and one of the other travelers asked me where I was heading and I said Aviat. He said Arviat was  my home and  this is where I was from ?….I looked rather confused and asked him how he could tell and it was the phrase used for thank-you!

This week as I understand it has been a week in which the use and learning of Inuktitut is recognized in Nunavut and declared by the GN. Last year at this time, I was in Arctic Bay and actually got one class at the school and was brave enough as a class member to try different pronunciations. E.g. “nga “ is the same sound as the last ng in singing.  “ I am OK” Qa/nu/i/ng/i/tu/gna.

As we know in all languages, intonation makes all the difference in the world in meaning.  Qa is a “ka” in the back of the throat and is not said as “ko” or “kue”. I have been in situations where my attempts at saying a word have been met with laughter, and I am somewhat shy to try again.  Several examples of this when learning phrases in Inuktitut or Inuaqtuin include  …thank-you vs. seaweed, how are you vs. I want to have sex, it is cold out and I would like some tea or coffee vs. it is cold out and you have a hard on…latter advised not to use if dealing with male patients.

I tried the  “it is cold out and I want a coffee” this last week and think I am handling it okay, despite my previous experience. Ikii  “IK-KEE” ..it is cold out and “coffee –turuaqtunga”- “ka-pee-to-na-tunga” .Also japah- YAPA is parka and qulitarjuaq “ko- le- tar-uaq ‘ is long coat as in my long blue parka.

I know that spending an afternoon reading your handy dictionary is not one activity we may commonly indulge in, but when one is indoors during a blizzard, as I found myself last week in Repulse Bay it is amazing what one finds interesting. Ulirnaisigitit, an Inuktitut-English dictionary of northern Quebec, Labrador and eastern Arctic Dialects. The introduction states on the author “ Father Lucien Sneider omi, known to the Inuit as ijautiliauk was a Catholic priest born in France, who came to the Canadian arctic as a missionary in the late 30s. After a few years spent at Eskimo Point (Arviat) and Tavani, he moved to kangiqsujuaq in Arctic Quebec and later on to Kuujjuaq. He returned to his own country in 1974 and died there in 1978.”

Some interesting and very descriptive words I found…

Narsituq:   a dog’s menacing growling or a person contracting nose as if bad smell
Nataq: double layer of ice separated by water
Pittaq: hole made by punching piercing hole made by sharp object
Patijuviniq: whose contents have frozen and caused it to bulge
Pattangajuq: person sensitive to cold
Patuk: frost that is formed on glasses when you go into the house in winter or soft frost hanging from edge of the roof

So that’s it for now...Taima ….Aqagutaug….see you tomorrow