Iñupiatun
Inupiaq
Eskimo-Aleut (Inuit)
Also known as: Inupiaq
Iñupiaq is the Inuit language of Alaska, descending in a chain from Inuktitut and Inuktun through to Greenlandic Kalaallisut as a single Eskimo dialect continuum. It uses an extended Latin alphabet with several diacritics (ġ, ł, ñ, ŋ, q) for its uvulars and palatals. The Iñupiat people are particularly known for their bowhead-whale hunting tradition along the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, which has shaped a deep ritual and ecological vocabulary.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Inupiaq
Water
imiq
/imiq/
Fire
igniq
/iɡniq/
Sun
siqiñiq
/siqiŋiq/
Moon
tatqiq
/tatqiq/
Mother
aaka
/aːka/
Father
aapa
/aːpa/
Eat
niġiruq
/niʁiruq/
Drink
imiġuq
/imiʁuq/
Love
piqpaġiyaa
/piqpaʁijaː/
Heart
uumman
/uːmːan/
Tree
napaaqtaq
/napaːqtaq/
House
iglu
/iɡlu/
Dog
qimmiq
/qimːiq/
Cat
pussiq
/pusːiq/
Hand
argak
/arɡak/
Eye
iri
/iri/
Hello
paglagvik
/paɡlaɡvik/
Thank you
quyanaq
/qujanaq/
One
atausiq
/atausiq/
Good
nakuuruq
/nakuːruq/
Words compared
Compared with related Eskimo-Aleut (Inuit) languages
| Meaning | Inupiaq | Inuktitut | Greenlandic | Central Alaskan Yupik | Tuvaluan | Central Siberian Yupik | Konso |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | imiq /imiq/ | ᐃᒪᖅ /imaq/ | imeq /imeq/ | meq /meq/ | vai /vai/ | мэк /mək/ | inanta /inanta/ |
| Fire | igniq /iɡniq/ | ᐃᑯᒪ /ikuma/ | ikuallaq /ikuaɬːaq/ | keneq /keneq/ | afi /afi/ | кэныг /kənəɡ/ | iya /ija/ |
| Sun | siqiñiq /siqiŋiq/ | ᓯᕿᓂᖅ /siqiniq/ | seqineq /seqineq/ | akerta /akerta/ | laa /laː/ | маасьихта /maːsʲixta/ | kawa /kawa/ |
| Moon | tatqiq /tatqiq/ | ᑕᖅᑭᖅ /taqːiq/ | qaammat /qaːmːat/ | iraluq /iraluq/ | masina /masina/ | аасʼта /aːsʼta/ | ayeena /ajeːna/ |
| Mother | aaka /aːka/ | ᐊᓈᓇ /anaːna/ | anaana /anaːna/ | aana /aːna/ | maatua /maːtua/ | аакаг /aːkaɡ/ | eedda /eːdːa/ |
| Father | aapa /aːpa/ | ᐊᑖᑕ /ataːta/ | ataata /ataːta/ | ata /ata/ | tamana /tamana/ | аатаг /aːtaɡ/ | abba /abːa/ |
| Eat | niġiruq /niʁiruq/ | ᓂᕆ- /niʁi/ | nerivoq /neɾivoq/ | ner'uq /nerʔuq/ | kai /kai/ | нэвлэк /nəvlək/ | ihaa /ihaː/ |
| Drink | imiġuq /imiʁuq/ | ᐃᒥᖅ- /imiq/ | imerpoq /imeɾpoq/ | mertuq /mertuq/ | inu /inu/ | эвлэк /əvlək/ | inakkaa /inakːaː/ |
| Love | piqpaġiyaa /piqpaʁijaː/ | ᓇᒡᓕᒍᓱᒃ- /naɡliɡusuk/ | asaaq /asaːq/ | kenka /kenka/ | alofa /alofa/ | сахвэк /saxvək/ | jaalla /dʒaːlːa/ |
| Heart | uumman /uːmːan/ | ᐆᒻᒪᑦ /uːmːat/ | uummat /uːmːat/ | irua /irua/ | fatu /fatu/ | эунгэк /əuŋək/ | onna /onːa/ |
| Tree | napaaqtaq /napaːqtaq/ | ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖅ /napaːqtuq/ | orpik /oɾpik/ | napa /napa/ | laakau /laːkau/ | эивкʼак /əivkʼak/ | ergaa /erɡaː/ |
| House | iglu /iɡlu/ | ᐃᒡᓗ /iɡlu/ | illu /iɬːu/ | ena /ena/ | fale /fale/ | нэӈэн /nəŋən/ | mana /mana/ |
| Dog | qimmiq /qimːiq/ | ᕿᒻᒥᖅ /qimːiq/ | qimmeq /qimːeq/ | qimugta /qimuɣta/ | kuli /kuli/ | кагилхак /kaɡilxak/ | kareta /kaɾeta/ |
| Cat | pussiq /pusːiq/ | ᐱᓯᒃᑎ /pisikti/ | qitsuk /qitsuk/ | qassraaraq /qassraːraq/ | pusi /pusi/ | пусʼик /pusʼik/ | adurree /aduɾːeː/ |
| Hand | argak /arɡak/ | ᐊᒡᒑᖅ /aɡːaːq/ | assak /asːak/ | unirak /unirak/ | lima /lima/ | унаак /unaːk/ | harka /haɾka/ |
| Eye | iri /iri/ | ᐃᔨ /iji/ | isi /isi/ | ii /iː/ | mata /mata/ | ии /iː/ | ila /ila/ |
| Hello | paglagvik /paɡlaɡvik/ | ᐊᐃ /aj/ | aluu /aluː/ | waqaa /waqaː/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | аипак /aipak/ | akkam /akːam/ |
| Thank you | quyanaq /qujanaq/ | ᓇᑯᕐᒦᒃ /nakuʁmiːk/ | qujanaq /qujanaq/ | quyana /qujana/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | игамсиӄанаӄ /iɡamsiqanaq/ | galta /ɡalta/ |
| One | atausiq /atausiq/ | ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ /atausiq/ | ataaseq /ataːseq/ | ataucik /atautʃik/ | tasi /tasi/ | атасʼек /atasʼek/ | takka /takːa/ |
| Good | nakuuruq /nakuːruq/ | ᐱᐅᔪᖅ /piujuq/ | ajunngilaq /ajuŋːilaq/ | assirtuq /asːirtuq/ | lei /lei/ | асʼилкʼа /asʼilkʼa/ | fayye /fajːe/ |
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