Sanaaq (22 page)

 

Maa maa maa!
onomatopoeia: dogs whimpering in pain

Maatiusi
person's name, Matthew

Makutsialutjuaq
person's name, old woman of a legend

mamaittuqutit,
pl. of
mamaittuquti
plant, Labrador tea

mami
fatty tissue under the skin

mangittaq
skin blanket spread on the ground for laying food on. Often a piece from skins that once covered a
qajaq

manu
neck of the hood of a garment, piece under the chin

matsait
, pl. of
matsak
spleen

mattaq
edible skin of the beluga

mirsutaq
outer stitching of a boot's waterproof double seam

misiraq
rancid oil of marine mammals in which one steeps meat

Mmm!
onomatopoeia: cooing of affection when one kisses a child, to make it happy

Muu muu muu! Miuu!
onomatopoeia: dogs howling

 

nanualuk
a big polar bear. From “Nanuq” — polar bear (
Thalarctos maritimes
)

nanuirvik
pad of bear fur used to dampen runners with water

naqitarvik
leather strap, with fastening straps, that runs along the outside of a sled's runners

nasivvik
point of land that serves as a lookout, often with a stone cairn

natsinguaq
little bone, figurine of a seal

natsiq
, dl.
natsiik
ringed seal

niaquit
, pl. of
niaquq
head of seals, humans, and small mammals

niaquujait
, pl. of
niaquujaq
bun made by the Whites, literally “which resembles a skull”

nikku
, pl.
nikkuit
dried meat

nikut-tuasi
see
aakut-tuasi

Ningiukuluk
person's name, literally “little old woman”

ningiurqaluk
saltwater fish, a kind of sculpin not eaten by the Inuit

nipisaq
sea snail (
Liparis
), literally “which is sticky”

nuakuluk
kinship term used by a woman for her sister's child

Nuilaq
dog's name, literally “fur trimming of a hood”; because the dog's fur makes a good hood trimming

nuliarsaq
invisible female lover, succubus

nutilliq
fish, brook trout

nuvviti
main sled tugline, which is slipped through the loops of the lines running from each dog harness. Also: sinew braiding, on which fish are strung by their gills.

 

paannguaq
little bone, figurine of an entrance

Palungattak
dog's name, literally “which has short drooping ears”

pamialluit
, pl. of
pamialluk
seal's tail

paugusiq
, pl.
paugusiit
wooden pole stuck into the snow wall of the igloo and supported by a vertical post. It serves as a support for the drying rack. From it hangs the cooking pot, over the oil lamp

paurngaqutit,
pl. of
paurngaquti
black crowberry

pavviit
, pl. of
pavvik
anklebone

Pikiuliq
place name; given to places where various migratory bird species nest in early summer, and where the Inuit go to gather eggs; often islands

puiji
, pl.
puijiit
marine animal whose head appears at the water's surface

puijiit
see
puiji

puttajiaq
seriously wounded or dead marine mammal, whose body is floating on the water's surface

puurtaq
bag of meat made from a sealskin turned inside out or from a beluga stomach

puvait
, pl. of
puvak
lung

 

Qaa!
onomatopoeia: snoring

qainnguq
ice ledge along the shoreline at high tide mark

qajaak
see
qajaq

qajaq
, pl.
qajait
, dl.
qajaak
kayak

qajuuttalutuq
little bone, figurine of a drinking mug

Qalingu
person's name

qaliruat
, pl.
qaliruaq
boot made of sealskin that has had its fur removed

qalliniq
part of a boot, covering the top of the foot and sewn to the sole

Qalliutuq
person's name, literally “the one who is winning a fight”

Qallunaaq
, pl.
Qallunaat
, dl.
Qallunaak
White man, literally “big eyebrows”

qalluviaq
see
qalluviat

qalluviat
, pl. of
qalluviaq
arch of the aorta in the heart of marine mammals

qanirqutuut
pl. of
qanirqutuuq
a kind of large-mouthed sculpin, literally “big mouth”

qaritait
, pl. of
qaritaq
brain

qatanngut
, dl.
qatannguuk,
voc.
qatannguuk
a woman's “female cousin”; more broadly, a female friend

qauliut
wooden instrument for softening boot leather

qaunnaq
Inuit chewing gum

qiaq
caul, peritoneum

qiiii
onomatopoeia: crackling sound of an oil lamp burning

qijuttaq
firewood, brush wood, dwarf willow, or driftwood

qilalukkaanaq
, pl.
qilalukkaanat
beluga calf

qillaqut
, or
qillaquti
gift to a midwife as thanks for tying the umbilical cord

qimminguat
, pl. of
qimminguaq
humerus of seals, also first knucklebones of the front and rear seal flippers. Little bone, figurine of a dog

qinirsiit
, pl. of
qinirsiq
pancreas

qinirsikallait
, pl. of
qinirsikallak
lymph nodes

qiqruaq
, pl.
qiqruat
kelp

Qirniq
dog's name, literally “black fur”

qitirsiraq
, pl.
qitirsirait
finger-guard made from skin, literally an index-finger-guard, though also put on the ring finger and forefinger

qitsalikaat
, pl. of
qitsalikaak
mesentery

qukiutiaruk
.22 long rifle, literally “little rifle”

qulliq
oil lamp made from steatite; also little bone: figurine of an oil lamp

qulluniq
, pl.
qulluniit
ice cave created by the ebb tide, on the foreshore

qumait
see Qumaq

Qumaq
, pl.
qumait
person's name, literally “white-coloured intestinal worm” found in seals, humans, and fishes

qungisiit
, pl. of
qungisiq
cervical vertebrae

qunujaq
ominous prophetic dream

qurvik
Inuit chamber pot. Can be used as a spittoon or a garbage pail. Formerly made of leather

quvianartuvik
literally “the big thing that makes people happy.” Modern meaning: “heaven”

 

sakiat
, pl. of
sakiaq
short ribs of a mammal; also wife's brother or husband's sister

Sanaaq
person's name

sanaji
midwife

sappa
little bone, figurine of wooden baggage compartment on a sled. Also called
iksivinnguaq

saputi
stone dam that is used to trap Arctic char when they swim upstream, in order to harpoon them more easily

Sarvaq!
onomatopoeia: an object falling into the water. May also mean rapids

sauniq
person's namesake, literally “bone”

sigalaq
, pl.
sigalat
plant with a hard red berry, or ship biscuit

sigalat
see
sigalaq

siiqrulik
very skinny seal whose knees can be seen through its skin

silalliq
outer stitching of double seam on the leg of a boot

sinaa
edge of an ice floe; literally “its edge”

Sinarnaaluk
dog's name, literally “the big grey one”

siqruit
, pl. of
siqruq
rear seal flipper

sirmiq
, dl.
sirmiik
,
pl.
sirmiit
coating of smooth frozen peat moss on a sled's runners

sirpalutuq
little bone (meaning unknown)

Siu siu siu si si siu
humming of a tune

sulluniit
leg of a boot

sulluniq
double stitching, folded over, of the leg of a waterproof skin boot

suluppaujaq
eelpout, a small fish; literally “which resembles a feather”

sursat
, pl. of
sursaq
thick fleshy root of the Alpine bistort

Suvakkualuk!
interjection to express opposition, anger, or unpleasant surprise

 

Tajarak
person's name

Tak tak!
onomatopoeia: something hitting, knocking, or falling

Taka taka taka
onomatopoeia: singing of a child

taliit
, pl. of
taliq
rear seal flipper; also human arm

Taqriasuk
person's name

Taqulik
dog's name, literally “which has a white spot over its eyes”

tarqaq
, pl.
tarqait
leather strap running over the top of a
qajaq
to hold in the hunting equipment

tarquti
poker for an oil lamp, often made from an Arctic willow stem

tikkuu
onomatopoeia: a firearm going off

tinguit
,
pl. of
tinguq
liver

tulimaat
, pl. of
tulimaaq
mammal rib

tunirjuit
, pl. of
tunirjuk
mammal sternum

turqujaat
, pl.
turqujaaq
larynx

tuurngaq
, pl.
tuurngait
term for a shaman's helping spirit. Used as a name for the devil by some of the first missionaries

 

U! Uu!
onomatopoeia: sound of great satisfaction after eating food

Ua
!
command to dogs: “Forward!”

Ua! Ua!
interjection shouted by a hunter to make a seal dive under water and thereby tire it; also onomatopoeia: sound of vomiting

Uai!
interjection to curse dogs or people

uanniq
west wind

uati
part of the home, to the left and right of the entrance, which adjoins the wall

uirsaq
human-looking invisible male lover, incubus

Uit!
command to dogs: “Forward!”

Ujararjuaq
place name, literally “big slab of rock”

ujjuk
bearded seal (
Erignathus barbatus
)

Ukiliriaq
dog's name. Used for a dog whose fur has several large patches of different colours (often white and black)

ukpik
, pl.
ukpiit
snowy owl (
Nyctea nyctea
)

uliuliniq
, pl.
uliuliniit
meat, sinewy fillet from the back of a beluga

ullugummitaaq
daily meal

ullutusiq
, pl.
ullutusiit
long day, the long days around the summer solstice

ulu
woman's half-moon knife

ulunnguat
, pl. of
ulunnguaq
xiphoid process of mammals, literally “which resembles a woman's knife (ulu)”

umiarjuaq
large boat of the Whites, literally “big boat”

umiqruit
, pl. of
umiqruq
seal snout

umm
see
uumm

Ungaa!
onomatopoeia: plaintive cry of a human baby or an Arctic hare

ungati
side extension of the sleeping platform of the igloo

ungirlaaq
laced bag of meat, made here from a piece of beluga skin

uqaujaq,
pl.
uqaujait
leaf of an Arctic willow, literally “which resembles a tongue”

uqumangirniq
nightmare

uquuqu
baby talk mainly for a bird or sea animal

usuujaq
qajaq
bow, literally “which resembles a penis”

usuujaq
, pl.
usuujait
homonym of previous word: means “sausage,” an imported product

utsulutuq
little bone, figurine of a vulva

Uu!
onomatopoeia: sound of satisfaction with food being eaten

Uugaq
dog's name, in the legend of Luuumaajuq

uujuq
, pl.
uujuit
boiled meat

Uujun ukua
interjectional phrase: “Here are some pieces of boiled meat”

Uumm!
also see
umm!
and
mmm!
Onomatopoeia: sound of satisfaction after eating food