Greenlandic phrasebook

Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) is the main, and since 2009, the sole official language of Greenland. It is an Eskimo–Aleut language, closely related to the Inuit languages in Canada such as Inuktitut.

The name Kalaallisut can refer either to the official language or the main variety, Western Greenlandic. Tunumiit oraasiat (East Greenlandic), and Inuktun (Polar Eskimo) are the other main Inuit language varieties spoken in Greenland; the latter is especially close to Inuktitut. The three Greenlandic languages are not easily mutually intelligible. In addition, various local dialects are present; Kalaallisut has three distinct dialects: north, central, and south dialects.

Greenlandic is a polysynthetic language that allows the creation of long words by stringing together roots and suffixes. Inflection is quite complex. Greenlandic usually constructs new words made from Greenlandic roots, by the very rich derivative mechanisms, but Greenlandic also has many loan words from Danish and English.

Inuit cultures are traditionally oral cultures exclusively, and as such, the Greenlandic language stands out among the many Inuit languages as having a particularly strong written tradition. The first phrasebook was published in 1750 by Poul Egede and was a Greenlandic-Danish-Latin phrasebook. In 1791, Otto Fabricius published the first book on Greenlandic grammar, and later on, Danish-German missionary Samuel Kleinschmidt did extensive work on the Greenlandic written language in the mid 1800s. This development explains why the Greenlandic language uses Latin (and Danish) letters and Arabic numbers. The early Norse settlers in Greenland wrote in Norse runes, but the Norse runic alphabet does not seem to have inspired the later Thule people in Greenland at all.

A

E

I

O

U

Æ

Ø

Å

Y

F

G

H

J

like yes

K

like ski

L

like land

M

like man

N

like now

P

like spoil

Q

like k but further down the throat

R

like French rester

S

like soon

T

like stop

V

like love

B

C

D

W

X

Y

Z

Hello.

Haluu. ( )

Hello. (informal)

Kutaa. ( )

How are you?

Qanoq ippit?( ?)

Are you well/good?

Ajunngilatit? ( )

Fine, thank you.

Ajunngilanga, qujanaq. ( )

It's good/fine.

Ajunngilaq. ( )

What is your name?

Qanoq ateqarpit? ( ?)

My name is ______ .

______-mik ateqarpunga . ( _____ .)

Nice to meet you.

. ( )

Please.

. ( )

Thank you.

Qujanaq. ( )

You're welcome. (you too)

Illillu. ( )

Yes.

Aap/Aappi/Suu. ( )

No.

Naa/Naamik. ( )

Maybe.

Immaqa. ( )

Right?

Ilaa? ( )

Excuse me. (getting attention)

. ( )

Excuse me. (begging pardon)

. ( )

I'm sorry.

Utoqqatserpunga. ( )

Goodbye

Baaj/Baj/Baabaj ( )

See you!

Takuss!( )

I can't speak Greenlandic [well].

Kalaallisut oqalusinnanngilanga. ( [ ])

Do you speak English?

Tuluttut oqaluttarpi? ( ?)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

Tuluttoorsinnaasoqarpa? ( ?)

Help!

Ikiu! ( !)

Look out!

Mianersorit! ( !)

Good morning.

Kumoorn. ( )

Good afternoon

Kutaa. ( )

Good evening.

. ( )

Good night.

Kunaat. ( )

Good night (sleep well, to one person)

Sinilluarit. ( )

I don't understand.

Paasinngilanga. ( )

Where is the toilet?

Anartarfik sumiippa? ( ?)

In Greenland, only 1–12 in Greenlandic are used. This is caused by a system of numerals used in the past where the toes and fingers were used to count to 20 which would be inuk naallugu or 'a complete human'. 79 would be 'four complete humans minus one'.

0

nuulu, noor'lu (NOO-loo, NOR-loo)

1

ataaseq (at-AR-sek)

2

marluk (MAR-look)

3

pingasut (PEEN-ga-soot)

4

sisamat (SEE-sa-mat)

5

tallimat (TAL-li-mat)

6

arfineq (when counting and with time), arfinillit (when counting objects) (AR-feen-ek, ar-FEEN-eel-lit)

7

arfineq marluk (AR-feen-ek MAR-look)

8

arfineq pingasut (AR-feen-ek PEEN-ga-soot)

9

(Northern Greenlandic) qulingiluat (counting/time), qualaaluat (objects) (kwel-LING-il-yoo-at, kwal-AA-loo-at)

(Southern Greenlandic) qulaaluat (kwul-AA-loo-at)

10

qulit (kwulit)

11

aqqaneq (counting/time), aqqanillit (objects) (AK-kan-ek, ak-KAN-eel-lit)

(Northern Greenlandic) isikkaneq (counting/time), isikkanillit (objects) (ISI-kan-ek, isi-kan-EEL-lit)

12

aqqaneq marluk (AK-kan-ek MAR-look)

(North Greenlandic) isikkaneq marluk (ISI-kan-ek MAR-look)

The numerals after 12 are Danish now but 13–20 in old Greenlandic are underneath as well as 100 and 1000:

13

aqqaneq pingasut (AK-kan-ek PEEN-ga-soot)

14

aqqaneq sisamat (AK-kan-ek SEE-sa-mat)

15

aqqaneq tallimat (AK-kan-ek TAL-lee-mat)

16

arvirsanillit (arv-ER-san-eel-lit)

17

arvirsani marluk (arv-ER-san-ee MAR-look)

18

arvirsani pingasut (arv-ER-san-ee PEEN-ga-soot)

19

arvirsani sisamat (arv-ER-san-ee SEE-sa-mat)

20

arvirsani tallimat (arv-ER-san-ee TAL-lee-mat) or inuk naallugu (een-ook narl-loogoo)

100

untriti (un-TREE-tee)

1000

tuusinti (too-SEEN-tee)

first

siulleq (SEE-oo-leek)

second

aappaa (ARP-par)

third

pingajuat (peen-GA-joo-at)

fourth

sisamaat (SEE-sa-mart)

fifth

tallimaat (tal-LEE-mart)

sixth

arvirnat (arv-ERN-at)

seventh

arviniq aappaat (ARV-in-ik ARP-part)

eighth

arviniq pingajuat (ARV-in-ik peen-GA-joo-at)

ninth

qulingiluaat (Northern), qulaaluaat (Southern) (kwoo-LEENG-eel-yoo-art, KWOO-lar-loo-art)

tenth

qulingat (kwoo-LEENG-at)

eleventh

aqqarnat (ak-KAR-nat)

twelfth

aqqaneq aappaat (AK-kan-ek ARP-part)

Numbers over 12th are Danish loan-numerals such as tretteniat is 13th and tyviat is 20th.

yesterday

ippassaq ( )

the day before yesterday

ippassaani ( )

today

ullumi ( )

tomorrow

aqagu ( )

the day after tomorrow

aqaguagu ( )

morning

ullaaq ( )

day

ulloq ( )

evening

unnuaq ( )

year

ukioq ( )

spring

upernaq ( )

summer

aasaq ( )

fall/autumn

ukiaq ( )

winter

ukioq (same as year, )

North Avannaq / South Kujataa / East Kangia / West Kitaa /

Monday

ataasinngorneq ( )

Tuesday

marlunngorneq ( )

Wednesday

pingasunngorneq ( )

Thursday

sisamanngorneq ( )

Friday

tallimanngorneq ( )

Saturday

arfininngorneq ( )

Sunday

sapaat ( )

January

Januaari ( )

February

Februaari ( )

March

Marsi ( )

April

Apriili ( )

May

Maaji ( )

June

Juuni ( )

July

Juuli ( )

August

Aggusti ( )

September

Septembari ( )

October

Oktobari ( )

November

Novembari ( )

December

Decembari ( )

West Kitaa /

white

qaqortoq ( )

black

qernertoq ( )

red

aappalaartoq ( )

green

qorsoq ( )

blue

tungujortoq ( )

yellow

sungaartoq ( )

car

biili ( )

bicycle

sikkili ( )

boat (small, personal)

umiatsiaq ( )

boat (traditional, for women)

umiaq/umiak ( )

boat (big)

umiarsuaq ( )

kayak

qajaq ( )

dog sled

qimusseq ( )

bus

bussi ( )

forward

siumut ( )

taxa

tarssa ( )

house

illu/illoq ( )

room

ini ( )

apartment

inissiaq ( )

money

aningaasat ( )

Danish Kroner

koroonit ( )

Danish Øre

oorit ( )

police

politii ( )

doctor

nakorsaq ( )