Rule #40
Particles are usually small words. They express neither a case nor a mood.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of common particles in Nunavik Inuktitut. Translations are tentative.
- aa yes
- aala listen! [reanalyzed verb base]
- aalummi (expression of affection)
- aarqaaluk (expression of being overwhelmed)
- aasit again as usual
- ai hello, hey
- aiguuq hey (to a loved one)
- akuni long time
- alianaq how pleasant! [reanalyzed verb base]
- allaat even
- amma, ammalu furthermore
- asuilaa that being the case
- asuguuq I totally agree with you, I told so
- asuu oh yeah? I see
- atii, atai let’s go, go ahead
- atiilu do it once again
- auka no
- aataa, aatataa ouch!
- aatsuuk, atsuuli I don’t know!
- atautsikut together
- atsunai bye bye
- atunit each individually
- ii (expression of fear or disgust)
- ikkii it’s cold! [reanalyzed verb base]
- ilaa I mean
- ilaali you’re welcome
- ilai isn’t it?
- imaak like this
- immaqaa maybe, it is quite possible
- ippasaq yesterday
- irsii / kappii (expression of fear) [reanalyzed verb base]
- isumainnaq absolutely
- kiita a little, just, because it is so
- kiitaapik a little bit
- kisiani, kisianili only, but
- maanna now
- nakurmiik thanks
- namminiq …-self
- niangaaq, niangaarli how lucky you are!
- painasi (expression of annoyance)
- qauppat tomorrow [reanalyzed verb]
- qujana never mind! don’t bother!
- siaru later, wait!
- siarugiaq a bit later
- sirlak hardly
- sujuq, sujuruuq what (did you, he, she say)?
- suli still, again
- sunauvva I didn’t know but
- suurlu as if
- tagga, taga there, then, thus
- tagataga now
- taima then, it’s finished, it’s enough, stop!
- taimaak like that
- taimangngat always
- taitsumani a long time ago [reanalyzed pronoun]
- takkuuli but there! how unfortunate!
- tuavii / uima quick! [reanalyzed verb base]
- tusunnaq how desirable it is! [reanalyzed verb base]
- ullumi today [reanalyzed noun]
- ulurii watch out! [reanalyzed verb base]
- urquu it’s hot! [reanalyzed verb base]
- uvva, uvvalu, uvvaluunniit or
Some postbases have also been reanalyzed as particles, for example galak! (a little!),kasak! (almost!), llurik! (great!), mmarik! (really!).
A few particles are compatible with a noun extender. Examples: aala-apik, kisiani- ugaluaq, nakurmii-marik, nakurmii-raaluk, taimaa-tsiaq, taitsumani-aluk.
A few particles are compatible with the verb maker /u-1. Examples: maanna-u-ngit- tuq, siarugia-ngu-lir-mat, kisiani-u-va-laur-mata.
