Loanwords and Foreign Names Take Greenlandic Endings — Greenlandic Grammar

Words taken from other languages, and names, get Greenlandic endings like any noun. A word that ends in a consonant first adds the helping vowel -i-: "in London" is , London + -i- + -mi.

Names

Aleximik ateqarpunga, illit aamma naapillutit nuanneq.
My name is Alex. Nice to meet you too. (Alex + -i- + -mik)
Michael Jacksoniuna.
That's Michael Jackson! (Jackson + -i- + -una "it is")
Sapaatip akunnera kingulleq New Yorkimut tikippunga.
Last week, I arrived in New York. (York + -i- + -mut)

Names Ending in a Vowel

A name that already ends in a vowel takes the ending directly.

Nuna una Belgiamit anneroqaaq.
This country is much bigger than Belgium. (Belgia + -mit)

Loans That Keep the -i

Many everyday loanwords keep the -i in every form, even without an ending: "bus", "car", "film".

Inuit bussimit niupput.
The people are getting off the bus.
Suna filmi nuannarinerpaaviuk?
What's your favorite movie?
Unaana hoteli illoqarfimmi pitsaanersaat tulliat.
That is the second-best hotel in the city.

People From a Place

-miu- "person from" turns a place name into a word for its people, and with -u- "be" after it, it says where someone is from: "they are Spanish".

Frankrigimiuuvunga.
I am from France. (Frankrigi + -miu- + -uvunga)

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Greenlandic course

61 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 2. A few of them, with the words “Loanwords and Foreign Names Take Greenlandic Endings” is about in bold:

Aana kammaga Anna, ilinniartuuvoq.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
Marlunnik biileqarpunga, sikkilit marluk, motorsikkilillu pingasut.
I have two cars, two bicycles, and three motorbikes.
Lesson 33
Biilii sukkaallutillu akikitsuaraapput.
She has a slow, cheap car.
Lesson 110

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