Inupiaq

Iñupiaq (ISO 639-1: ik) is an Inuit–Yupik–Unangan language spoken across northern and northwestern Alaska. Alaskan Iñupiaq has two major dialect groups: North Alaskan Iñupiaq, including North Slope and Malimiut, and Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq, including Qawiaraq and Bering Strait; the two groups differ substantially, while neighboring varieties form a continuum. Current Alaska estimates identify roughly 500–1,500 highly proficient speakers, alongside second-language learners, and transmission to children has greatly weakened. Iñupiaq is polysynthetic, building complex words from multiple morphemes, and is written in a Latin-based orthography with letters such as ġ, ł, ñ, and ŋ. It is one of Alaska’s official languages, and community programs and University of Alaska courses support documentation and revitalization.