View source for Inuktun

{{short description|Inuit language of northwestern Greenland}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Inuktun
| altname          = Polar Inuit
| nativename       = {{lang|mis|avanersuarmiutut}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greenland - People {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Greenland/People |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
| acceptance       = 
| image            = 
| imagesize        = <!-- or image_size -->
| imagealt         = 
| imagecaption     = 
| pronunciation    = 
| states           = [[Greenland]]<br>[[Kingdom of Denmark]]
| region           = [[Avanersuaq]]
| creator          = 
| created          = 
| setting          = 
| coordinates      = <!-- use {{Coord}} --> 
| ethnicity        = [[Inughuit]]
| extinct          = 
| era              = 
| speakers         = 800–1,000
| date             = 1995
| ref              = <ref>770 in Greenland, and perhaps 20% more in Denmark. {{ethnologue16|kal|Greenlandic}}</ref> 
| familycolor      = Eskimo-Aleut
| fam2             = [[Eskimo languages|Eskimo]]
| fam3             = [[Inuit languages|Inuit]]
| fam4             = (variously classified as [[Inuktitut]], [[Inuvialuktun]] or [[Inuinnaqtun]])
| protoname        = 
| ancestor         = [[Proto-Eskaleut language|Proto-Eskimo–Aleut]]
| ancestor2        = [[Proto-Eskimoan language|Proto-Eskimo]]
| ancestor3        = [[Proto-Inuit language|Proto-Inuit]]
| standards        = 
| stand1           = 
| stand2           = <!-- up to stand6 -->
| dialects         = 
| listclass        = 
| dia1             = 
| dia2             = <!-- up to dia20 -->
| script           = 
| sign             = 
| posteriori       = 
| nation           = [[Greenland]]
| minority         = 
| agency           = 
| iso1             = 
| iso1comment      = 
| iso2             = 
| iso2b            = 
| iso2t            = 
| iso2comment      = 
| iso3             = 
| iso3comment      = 
| lc1              = 
| ld1              = 
| lc2              = <!-- up to lc30 -->
| ld2              = <!-- up to ld30 --> 
| iso6             = 
| isoexception     = 
| linglist         = 
| lingname         = 
| linglist2        = <!-- up to linglist6 -->
| lingname2        = <!-- up to lingname6 -->
| glotto           = pola1254
| glottoname       = Polar Eskimo
| glottofoot       = 
| glottorefname    = 
| glotto2          = <!-- up to glotto5 -->
| glottoname2      = <!-- up to glottoname5 -->
| glottorefname2   = <!-- up to glottorefname5 -->
| aiatsis          = 
| aiatsisname      = 
| aiatsis2         = <!-- up to aiatsis6 -->
| aiatsisname2     = <!-- up to aiatsisname6 -->
| guthrie          = 
| lingua           = 
| lingua_ref       = 
| ietf             = 
| map              = Inuktitut dialect map.svg
| mapsize          = 
| mapalt           = 
| mapcaption       = Inuit dialects. Inuktun is the brown area ("Avanersuaq") in the northwest of Greenland.
| map2             = Lang Status 60-DE.svg
| mapalt2          = 
| mapcaption2      = {{center|{{small|North Greenlandic is classified as Definitely Endangered by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''}}}}
| module           = 
| notice           = IPA
}}

'''Inuktun''' ({{langx|en|Polar Inuit}}, {{langx|kl|avanersuarmiutut}}, {{langx|da|nordgrønlandsk, polarinuitisk, thulesproget}}) is the language of approximately 1,000 Indigenous [[Inughuit]] (Polar [[Inuit]]), inhabiting the world's northernmost settlements in [[Qaanaaq]] and the surrounding villages in northwestern [[Greenland]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=Erik |last=Holtved |author-link=Erik Holtved |title=Remarks on the Polar Eskimo Dialect |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=18 |issue=1 |date=January 1952 |pages=20–24|doi=10.1086/464143 |s2cid=143645596 }}</ref>

==Geographic distribution==
Apart from the town of Qaanaaq, Inuktun is also spoken in the villages of (Inuktun names in brackets) [[Moriusaq]] (Muriuhaq), [[Siorapaluk]] (Hiurapaluk), [[Qeqertat]] (Qikiqtat), [[Qeqertarsuaq]] (Qikiqtarhuaq), and [[Savissivik]] (Havighivik).

==Classification ==
The language is an [[Eskimo–Aleut languages|Eskimo–Aleut language]] and [[dialectology|dialectologically]] it is in between the [[Greenlandic language]] (Kalaallisut) and the Canadian [[Inuktitut]], [[Inuvialuktun]] or [[Inuinnaqtun]]. The language differs from Kalaallisut by some phonological, grammatical and lexical differences.

==History ==
The Polar Inuit were the last to cross from Canada into Greenland and they may have arrived as late as in the 18th century.<ref>Fortescue 1991. page 1</ref> 
The language was first described by the explorers [[Knud Rasmussen]] and [[Peter Freuchen]] who travelled through northern Greenland in the early 20th century and established a trading post in 1910 at Dundas (Uummannaq) near [[Pituffik]].

==Current situation==
Inuktun does not have its own [[orthography]] and is not taught in schools. However, most of the inhabitants of Qaanaaq and the surrounding villages use Inuktun in their everyday communication.

All speakers of Inuktun also speak [[Greenlandic language|Standard Greenlandic]] and many also speak Danish and a few also English.

==Phonology and orthography==
There is no official way to transcribe Inuktun. This article uses the orthography of [[Michael Fortescue]], which deliberately reflects the close connection between Inuktun and [[Inuktitut]]
===Vowels===
The vowels are the same as in other Inuit dialects: {{IPA|/i/}}, {{IPA|/u/}} and {{IPA|/a/}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! 
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Central vowel|Central]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA link|i}} {{IPA link|iː}}
| 
| {{IPA link|u}} {{IPA link|uː}}
|-
! [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| colspan=2|({{IPA link|e}}~{{IPA link|ə}} {{IPA link|eː}}~{{IPA link|əː}}){{efn|name=q|Like in West Greenlandic {{IPA|/i/}}, {{IPA|/u/}} and {{IPA|/a/}} become {{IPA|[e~ə]}}, {{IPA|[o]}} and {{IPA|[ɑ]}} respectively before uvular consonants. However, unlike in West Greenlandic, {{IPA|[e~ə]}} and {{IPA|[o]}} aren't written with {{angbr|e}} and {{angbr|o}}. Instead they are written with {{angbr|i}} and {{angbr|u}} like in Inuktitut}}
| ({{IPA link|o}} {{IPA link|oː}}){{efn|name=q}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan=2|{{IPA link|a}} {{IPA link|aː}}
| ({{IPA link|ɑ}} {{IPA link|ɑː}}){{efn|name=q}}
|}
{{Notelist}}
There are two diphthongs: {{IPA|/ai/}} and {{IPA|/au/}}, which have been assimilated in West Greenlandic to {{IPA|/aa/}} (except for final {{IPA|/ai/}})

===Consonants===
The most notable phonological difference from West Greenlandic is the [[debuccalization]] of West Greenlandic {{IPA|/s/}} to {{IPA|/h/}} (often pronounced {{IPA|[ç]}}) except for geminate {{IPA|[sː]}} (from earlier {{IPA|/ss/}} or {{IPA|/vs/}}). Inuktun also allows more consonant clusters than Kalaallisut, namely ones with initial {{IPA|/k/}}, {{IPA|/ŋ/}}, {{IPA|/ɣ/}}, {{IPA|/q/}} or {{IPA|/ʁ/}}. Older or conservative speakers also still have clusters with initial {{IPA|/p/}}, {{IPA|/m/}} or {{IPA|/v/}}. Younger speakers have gone further in reducing old clusters, with also {{IPA|/k/}}, {{IPA|/ŋ/}} and {{IPA|/ɣ/}} being assimilated to the following consonant.

The digraphs {{angbr|gh}} and {{angbr|rh}} (from earlier {{IPA|/ɣs/}} and {{IPA|/ʁs/}}, cognates with West Greenlandic {{angbr|ss}} and {{angbr|rs}}) are pronounced like West Greenlandic velar and uvular fricatives -gg- {{IPA|/xː/}} and -rr- {{IPA|/χː/}} respectively. 

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Consonants of Inuktun 
!colspan=2|
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Uvular consonant|Uvular]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!rowspan=2| [[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
! <small>plain</small>
| {{IPA link|m}} {{vr|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}} {{vr|n}}, {{vr|-t}}{{efn|name=n|in word-final position the stops {{IPA|/t/}}, {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/q/}} become nasals {{IPA|[n]}}, {{IPA|[ŋ]}} and {{IPA|[ɴ]}}. Fortescue chose not to show this in his orthography (except for the name of the dialect itself, ''Inuktun'', which corresponds to West Greenlandic ''Inuttut'' "speaking like a person").}}
|
| {{IPA link|ŋ}} {{vr|ng}}, {{vr|-k}}{{efn|name=n}}
| ({{IPA link|ɴ}} {{vr|-q}}){{efn|name=n}}
|
|-
! <small>[[Gemination|geminated]]</small>
| {{IPA link|mː}} {{vr|mm}}
| {{IPA link|nː}} {{vr|nn}}
|
| {{IPA link|ŋː}} {{vr|nng}}
| {{IPA link|ɴː}} {{vr|rng}}
|
|-
!rowspan=2| [[Plosive]]
! <small>plain</small>
| {{IPA link|p}} {{vr|p}}
| {{IPA link|t}} {{vr|t}}
|
| {{IPA link|k}} {{vr|k}}
| {{IPA link|q}} {{vr|q}}
| {{IPA link|ʔ}}{{efn|the non-nasal voiced geminates in Inuktun (gg, vv, ll, rr) are pronounced with a glottal stop + single voiced consonant ({{IPA|[ʔɣ]}}, {{IPA|[ʔv]}}, {{IPA|[ʔɾ]}}, {{IPA|[ʔʁ]}}), unlike in Kalaallisut where they have all become devoiced long consonants ({{IPA|[xː]}}, {{IPA|[fː]}}, {{IPA|[ɬː]}}, {{IPA|[χː]}}).}}
|-
! <small>[[Gemination|geminated]]</small>
| {{IPA link|pː}} {{vr|pp}}
| {{IPA link|tː}} {{vr|tt}}
|
| {{IPA link|kː}} {{vr|kk}}
| {{IPA link|qː}} {{vr|qq}}
|
|-
!rowspan=2| [[Affricate]]
! <small>plain</small>
|
| ({{IPA link|t͡s}} {{vr|t}}){{efn|name=ts|like in West Greenlandic 
short {{IPA|[t͡s]}} is in complementary distribution with short {{IPA|[t]}}, with the former appearing before {{IPA|/i/}} and the latter elsewhere; both are written {{angbr|t}} and could be analysed as belonging to the same phoneme {{IPA|/t/}}. Before {{IPA|/i/}}, long {{IPA|[tt͡s]}} occurs while long {{IPA|[tt]}} doesn't, so long {{IPA|[tt͡s]}} before {{IPA|/i/}} could be analysed as long {{IPA|/tt/}}. However, before {{IPA|/a/}} and {{IPA|/u/}}, both long {{IPA|[tt͡s]}} and long {{IPA|[tt]}} occur. Long {{IPA|[tt͡s]}} is always written {{vr|ts}}.}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! <small>[[Gemination|geminated]]</small>
|
| {{IPA link|tːs}} {{vr|ts}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan=2| [[Fricative]]
! <small>plain</small>
| {{IPA link|v}} {{vr|v}} {{efn|{{IPA|/v/}} may be bilabial {{IPA|[β]}} for older speakers}}
| {{IPA link|s}} {{vr|s}}
| ({{IPA link|ç}} {{vr|h}}){{efn|name=h|the phoneme {{IPA|/h/}} has two allophones for most speakers, an ordinary 'glottal' {{IPA|[h]}} and a palatal sound, {{IPA|[ç]}}, which can be written 'hj'. This latter allophone, which is more frequent among older speakers, occurs regularly for most middle generation speakers between {{IPA|/a/}} and {{IPA|/u/}} (as in ''ahu''), {{IPA|/u/}} and {{IPA|/u/}} (as in ''puqtuhuq'') and {{IPA|/a/}} and {{IPA|/a/}} (as in ''a'''h'''aihuq''), but also in the few (but common) other words containing the sequence ''huuq'' or ''huur'', as in the ending of the word ''takihuuq'' ("long"). The only major exception concerns the indicative/participle endings (huq, etc.), which does not usually have the allophone {{IPA|[ç]}} even after {{IPA|/a/}} or {{IPA|/u/}}. Since the variation is predictable, Fortescue chose to use ''h'' for both sounds. For many if not most middle generation and younger speakers, however, a reanalysis of some of the forms with ''huuq'' has taken place (at least word-initially or after {{IPA|/a/}}) so ''huuq'' ("why") and ''pualahuuq'' ("fat") are now pronounced ''hiuq'' and ''pualahiuq'', with a clear sequence of two syllables.}}
| {{IPA link|ɣ}} {{vr|g}}
| {{IPA link|ʁ}} {{vr|r}}
| {{IPA link|h}} {{vr|h}} {{efn|name=h}}
|-
! <small>[[Gemination|geminated]]</small>
|
| {{IPA link|sː}} {{vr|ss}}
|
| {{IPA link|xː}} {{vr|gh}}
| {{IPA link|χː}} {{vr|rh}}
|
|-
!colspan=2| [[Approximant]]
|
| ({{IPA link|l}} {{vr|l}}){{efn|the phoneme {{IPA|/l/}} is pronounced as a flap {{IPA|[ɾ]}} as in most of northwest and East dialects of Greenlandic, which may sound more like a "d" to native English speakers.|name=flap}}
| {{IPA link|j}} {{vr|j}}
|
|
|
|-
!colspan=2| [[Flap consonant|Flap]]
|
| {{IPA link|ɾ}} {{vr|l}}{{Efn|name=flap}}
| 
|
|
|
|}
{{Notelist}}

===Comparison with West Greenlandic===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; float:"
! colspan="2" | Pronunciation
|-
! Inuktun || West Greenlandic 
|-
| colspan="2" | '''a''' {{IPA|[a]}}, {{IPA|[ɑ]}} {{efn|name=r|before uvular consonants}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'''aa''' {{IPA|[aː]}}, {{IPA|[ɑː]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|-
|'''ai''' {{IPA|[ai]}}
|'''aa''' {{IPA|[aː]}}, {{IPA|[ɑː]}} {{efn|name=r|}} 
'''ai''' {{IPA|[ai]}} {{efn|name=w|word-finally}}
|-
|'''au''' {{IPA|[au]}}
|'''aa''' {{IPA|[aː]}}, {{IPA|[ɑː]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'''g''' {{IPA|[ɣ]}}
|-
|'''gg''' {{IPA|[ʔɣ]}}
|'''gg''' {{IPA|[xː~çː]}}
|-
|'''gh''' {{IPA|[xː]}}
|'''ss''' {{IPA|[sː]}}
|-
|'''gl''' {{IPA|[ɣɾ]}}
|'''ll''' {{IPA|[ɬː]}}
|-
|'''h''' {{IPA|[h]}}, {{IPA|[ç]}} (see above)
|'''s''' {{IPA|[s]}} {{efn|name=x|also {{IPA|[ʃ]}} in some dialects}}
|-
|'''i''' {{IPA|[i]}}, {{IPA|[e~ə]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|'''i''' {{IPA|[i]}} 
'''e''' {{IPA|[e~ə]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|-
|'''ii''' {{IPA|[iː]}}, {{IPA|[eː~əː]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|'''ii''' {{IPA|[iː]}} 
'''ee''' {{IPA|[eː~əː]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'''j''' {{IPA|[j]}}
|-
|'''k''' {{IPA|[k]}}, {{IPA|[ŋ]}} {{efn|name=w|}}
|'''k''' {{IPA|[k]}}
|-
|'''kp''' {{IPA|[kp~xp]}} / {{IPA|[pː]}} {{efn|name=y|for younger speakers}}
|'''pp''' {{IPA|[pː]}}
|-
|'''kt''' {{IPA|[kt~xt]}} / {{IPA|[tː]}} {{efn|name=y|}}
|'''tt''' {{IPA|[tː]}}
|-
|'''l''' {{IPA|[ɾ]}}
|'''l''' {{IPA|[l]}}
|-
|'''ll''' {{IPA|[ʔɾ]}}
|'''ll''' {{IPA|[ɬː]}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'''m''' {{IPA|[m]}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'''n''' {{IPA|[n]}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'''ng''' {{IPA|[ŋ]}}
|-
|'''ngm''' {{IPA|[ŋm]}} / {{IPA|[mː]}} {{efn|name=y|}}
|'''mm''' {{IPA|[mː]}}
|-
|'''ngn''' {{IPA|[ŋn]}} / {{IPA|[nː]}} {{efn|name=y|}}
|'''nn''' {{IPA|[nː]}}
|-
| colspan="2" | '''p''' {{IPA|[p]}}
|-
|'''q''' {{IPA|[q]}}, {{IPA|[ɴ]}} {{efn|name=w|}}
|'''q''' {{IPA|[q]}}
|-
|'''qp''' {{IPA|[qp~χp]}}
|'''rp''' {{IPA|[pː]}}
|-
|'''qt''' {{IPA|[qt~χt]}}, {{IPA|[qt͡s~χt͡s]}} {{efn|name=z|before i}}
|'''rt''' {{IPA|[tː]}}, {{IPA|[tt͡s]}} {{efn|name=k|before i or e}}
|-
| colspan="2" | '''r''' {{IPA|[ʁ]}}
|-
|'''rl''' {{IPA|[ʁɾ]}}
|'''rl''' {{IPA|[ɬː]}}
|-
|'''rm''' {{IPA|[ʁm]}}
|'''rm''' {{IPA|[mː]}}
|-
|'''rn''' {{IPA|[ʁn]}}
|'''rn''' {{IPA|[ɴ]}}
|-
| colspan="2" | '''rng''' {{IPA|[ɴː]}}
|-
|'''rh''' {{IPA|[χː]}}
|'''rs''' {{IPA|[sː]}}
|-
|'''rv''' {{IPA|[ʁv]}} (may be {{IPA|[ʁβ]}} for older speakers)
|'''rf''' {{IPA|[fː]}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'''s''' {{IPA|[s]}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'''ss''' {{IPA|[sː]}}
|-
|'''t''' {{IPA|[t]}}, {{IPA|[t͡s]}} {{efn|name=z|}}
|'''t''' {{IPA|[t]}}, {{IPA|[t͡s]}} {{efn|name=k|}}
|-
| colspan="2" | '''ts''' {{IPA|[tt͡s]}}
|-
|'''u''' {{IPA|[u]}}, {{IPA|[o]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|'''u''' {{IPA|[u]}}
'''o''' {{IPA|[o]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|- 
|'''uu''' {{IPA|[uː]}}, {{IPA|[oː]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|'''uu''' {{IPA|[uː]}}
'''oo''' {{IPA|[oː]}} {{efn|name=r|}}
|-
|'''v''' {{IPA|[v]}} (may be {{IPA|[β]}} for older speakers)
|'''v''' {{IPA|[v]}}
|-
|'''vv''' {{IPA|[ʔv]}} (may be {{IPA|[ʔβ]}} for older speakers)
|'''ff''' {{IPA|[fː]}}
|}
{{Notelist}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*[[Michael Fortescue|Fortescue, Michael]], 1991, Inuktun: an introduction to the language of Qaanaaq, Thule, Institut for Eskimologi 15, Københavns Universitet
{{refend}}

==External links==
* Pax Leonard, Stephen. "[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/oct/30/life-greenlands-polar-desert?hpt=Sbin Scientist lives with Arctic Innuguit for a year to document and help save disappearing language]." [[The Guardian]].

{{Greenlandic language}}
{{Eskimo-Aleut languages}}
{{Greenland topics}}
{{Languages of Denmark}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inuktun Language}}
[[Category:Greenlandic language]]
[[Category:Endangered Eskaleut languages]]
[[Category:Inuit languages]]
[[Category:Inughuit]]
[[Category:Languages of Greenland]]
[[Category:Agglutinative languages]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Arctic]]