Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)

Greenlandic is a member of the Inuit branch of the Eskimo-Aleut language family. Unlike most Inuit languages, it has a lot of influence and loanwords from languages such as Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Faroese, Finnish and English. It is spoken by about 57,000 people in Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) and Denmark (Danmark / Qallunaat Nunaat). There are three main dialects: West Greenlandic (Kalaallisut), East Greenlandic (Tunumiisut / Tunumiit oraasiat) and North Greenlandic (Avanersuarmiutut).

West Greenlandic is spoken by 53,000 people (in 1995) in Nuuk, Sisimiut and Kangerussuaq. It is has been the official language of the Greenlandic autonomous territory since 2009 - before then it shared official status with Danish. West Greenlandic is used in Greenland's schools, and is the sole medium of instruction in primary schools. It is also spoken by 7,000 people in Denmark.

East Greenlandic is spoken by 3,000 people (in 1995) mainly in the Tasiilaq in southeast Greenland.

North Greenlandic is spoken by 800 people in the north of Greenland. It has more similarities with Inuit languages spoken in Canada than with other Greenlandic dialects, and is classified as a separate language by some linguists. It is also known as Inuktun, Polar Inuit, Thule Inuit or Polar Eskimo.

Greenlandic probably arrived in Greenland in the 13th century and was first described in the 1600s. In the 1700s Danish missionary compiled dictionaries and grammars of the language - the first Greenlandic dictionary was published in 1750, and the first grammar in 1760, both by Paul Edege (1708-1789). North Greenlandic / Inuktun possibly arrived during the 18th century.

Between 1851 and 1973 a complex orthography invented by Samuel Kleinschmidt, a missionary linguist, was used to write Greenlandic. A new orthography, which brought the written language closer to the spoken language, was introduced in 1973.

Greenlandic alphabet (Kallallisut Naqinnerit Tulleriinnerat)

Note

The letter Κʼ ĸ (kra) was used in Greenlandic until 1973, when it was replaced by Q.

Greenlandic pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Greenlandic (Excel)

Notes

All consonants and vowels (that are a part of the standard Greenlandic alphabet, not the loan one) can be geminated, and are pronounced as long versions of their normal counterparts, e.g. mm = [mː]. However, there are 3 geminated consonants that are pronounced differently.
Greenlandic has only 3 main vowels (which is typical for any Inuit language): [a], [i], [u]. However, if one of these vowels comes directly before [q] or [ʁ], their pronunciation will change to the following:
- [a] becomes [ɑ], but if it comes directly before [ʁ], the [ʁ] won't be pronounced. Example: anarsaat ("laxative") would be pronounced [a.nɑs.sa:t]
- [i] would become [ɜ]; however, if [ɜ] comes directly before an "rs", the [ʁ] won't be pronounced. Example: akuersineq ("acceptance") is pronounced [a.ku.wɜs.si.nɜq]. nerivoq ("he/she eats") is pronounced [nɜ.ʁi.vɔq] because there is no "rs" that comes directly after it
- [u] would become [ɔ], but if it comes directly before [ʁ], the [ʁ] won't be pronounced. Example: qaqortoq ("white") would be pronounced [qɑ.qɔt.tɔq]
However, with geminated vowels, the rules are a bit funky. If the geminated vowel comes directly before an "rs", the [ʁ] won't be pronounced; but if it doesn't, the [ʁ] is pronounced.
Examples:
- paarsinermi ("in passing") is pronounced [pɑ:s.si.nɜm.mi]
- iluanaarut ("dividend") is pronounced [i.lu.wa.nɑ:.ʁut]
- peersineq ("removal") [pɜ:s.si.nɜq]
- sorusussuseeruttoq ("apathetic") is pronounced [sɔ.ʁu.sus.su.sɜ:.ʁut.tɔq]
- 'Joorsi' (Greenlandic variant of the name 'Joe') is pronounced [jɔ:s.si]
- immikkoorutaasoq ("it's a distinctive feature" (rough translation)) is pronounced [im.mik.kɔ:.ʁu.ta:.sɔq]
t is pronounced [ts] before i
/vv/ is written ff and pronounced [fː], and v is written f and pronounced [f] after r
In some loanwords from Danish, a = [ɐ], e = [e], i = [y], o = [o], u = [ʉ], b = [p], d = [t] and g = [k]. However, the pronunciation mostly depends on the loanword.
Syllables can be heavy or light: heavy syllables include those with long vowels, and those before consonant clusters. In words of fewer than four syllables without any heavy syllables the final syllable is stressed. In words with more than four syllables that are all light, the penultimate syllable is stressed. Syllables with long vowels are considered heavier than syllables before consonant clusters.
In questions intonation rises on the penultimate syllable and falls on the final syllable. In indicative clauses the antepenultimate and final syllables have raised intonation and intonation falls on the penultimate syllable.

Details provided by Juunataat Saffiooq

Sample text

Inuit tamarmik inunngorput nammineersinnaassuseqarlutik assigiimmillu ataqqinassuseqarlutillu pisinnaatitaaffeqarlutik. Silaqassusermik tarnillu nalunngissusianik pilersugaapput, imminnullu iliorfigeqatigiittariaqaraluarput qatanngutigiittut peqatigiinnerup anersaavani.

Hear a recording of this text

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample videos in Greenlandic

Information about Greenlandic | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Learn Greenlandic with uTalk

Greenlandic language resources on Amazon

Links

Information about the Greenlandic language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaallisut_language
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grönländska http://www.greenlandic.estranky.cz/clanky/o-gronstine.html (in Czech)

Greenlandic lessons
https://learngreenlandic.com/
https://www.sermersooq.dk/

Greenlandic phrases
http://www.boomspeed.com/lckmctighe/greenlandic.html
http://brazil1500.tripod.com/wodlingos/id33.html
http://www.greenland.com/en/about-greenland/kultur-sjael/sprog/audio-parloer.aspx
http://sermersooq.dk/%C3%B8velse%201%2C2%2C3.html

Greenlandic parser project
http://giellatekno.uit.no/kal.html

Greenland Language Council / Oqaasileriffik (in Greenlandic, Danish and English)
http://www.oqaasileriffik.gl

Kalaallit Nunaata Radio (Radio Greenland)
http://knr.gl/radio

Education in Greenland
http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/IEW/edgreen.html

Greenland Guide
http://www.greenland.com

Eskimo-Aleut languages

Aleut, Alutiiq, Greenlandic, Inuktitut, Inuktun, Iñupiaq, Sirenik, Yup'ik (Central Alaskan), Yupik (Central Siberian)

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 07.11.23

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