Inuinnaqtun

=Introduction=

Inuinnaqtun, meaning 'like the real human beings/peoples,' is an Inuit language spoken in the central Canadian Arctic. Closely related to Inuktitut, some scholars, including Richard Condon, suggest classifying Inuinnaqtun as a dialect of Inuktitut. The government of Nunavut officially recognizes Inuinnaqtun as a language, alongside Inuktitut, collectively referred to as Inuktut. It also holds official language status in the Northwest Territories, where it is recognized alongside Inuvialuktun and Inuktitut.

Inuinnaqtun is predominantly spoken in the communities of Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk, and Gjoa Haven within the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. Beyond Nunavut, it is spoken in the hamlet of Ulukhaktok, where it is alternatively known as Kangiryuarmiutun, contributing to Inuvialuktun. The language is typically written using the Roman orthography, except in Gjoa Haven, where Inuit syllabics are employed, as seen in Natsilingmiutut.

=Background=

Inuinnaqtun, spoken in Canada (Nunavut and Northwest Territories), is a part of the Eskimo–Aleut language family, specifically the Inuit branch within Inuvialuktun. As of the 2016 census, the language has 1,310 native speakers. Its linguistic roots trace back to early forms such as Proto-Eskimo–Aleut, Proto-Eskimo, and Proto-Inuit.

Inuinnaqtun holds official language status in both Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The language is regulated by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and it is identified under ISO language codes, with ISO 639-1 as "iu," ISO 639-2 as "iku" for Inuktitut, and ISO 639-3 as "ikt" for Inuinnaqtun and Western Canadian Inuktitut. Its classification is documented in Glottolog under the code "copp1244."

=History=

Inuinnaqtun was developed as the transitional language between the Iñupiatun of Alaska and the Inuktitut of Eastern Canada. Around 800 to 700 years ago, as the Thule-Inuit settlers have arrived in Kitikmeot Region, the language independently developed, with the heavy influences from Inuktitut.

Currently, Inuinnaqtun is recognized as the official languages of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.