Details

General

Morphemic form: {inuk}N
New orthography: inuk, inua, inuit
Old orthography: inuk, inua, inuit
Sources: [SK71], [JP67], [CWSL58], [CBBJRPIKJR97]
Combinations: View list
Right sandhi: Default/none
Inflection sandhi: Default/none
Stem type(s): Regular k-stem

Description and behaviour

Form and usage:

The basic meaning of this stem is 'human', but it is also commonly used as a general ethnonym for people inhabiting the Arctic (i.e. speakers of the Inuit languages). Kleinschmidt [SK71] also describes a secondary meaning with possessive endings, which perhaps generally can be translated as 'Possessor's inhabitant', which then can yield a diverse collection of meanings depending on the Possessor, ranging from a chick fetus inside an egg to Santa Clause/Father Christmas (see the examples).


Inflection

Declension pattern:

Stem type: Regular k-stem
Declension type: up-declined
Declension sandhi: Default/none

Stem before consonant Stem before vowel Notable forms
New orthography inuk inu inuk, inuup, inuit,
Phonemic orthography inuk inu inuk, inuup, inuit,


Meanings and examples

It is also used as a unisex name, Inuk. It is also used as a common ethnonym (endonym) for the people inhabiting the Arctic, cf. also {kalaaliq}N.

This can have a wide variety of meanings. The 'inhabitant' can either be in a physical or spiritual sense, i.e. 'inhabitant' understood as 'soul' or 'spirit'.

  • manniup inua, chick within an egg [SK71]

    Literally: 'inhabitant of the egg'.

  • kilaap inua, scabies mite (within a scabies boil) [SK71]

    Literally: 'inhabitant of the boil'.

  • qaannap inua, the kayak's owner [SK71]
  • illup inua, the inhabitant (owner) of the house. Also in plural, _illup inui_, 'inhabitants of the house'. [SK71]
  • nunap inui, inhabitants of the country [SK71]

    Cf. also the other meaning, 'native', i.e. 'the land's (native) inhabitants'.

  • juullip inua, Santa Clause; Father Christmas [Uwn]

    I.e. 'the spirit of Christmas' (Danish: Julemanden).


References