-una: It Is — Greenlandic Grammar

-una "it is" is attached to a word to say what something is, or who it is. After some words it takes the shape -ana or -juna: "what" gives "what is it?".

Naatsiiaruna.
It's a potato. (naatsiiaq "potato": the q becomes r)
Michael Jacksoniuna.
That's Michael Jackson! (Jackson + -i- + -una)
Kinaana erinarsortoq?
Who is singing? (kina "who" + -ana: lit. who is it that is singing?)

A Final t Becomes n

Before -una, a final t becomes n.

Akkanuna?
Is this your uncle? (akkat "your uncle" + -una)

It Is That …

On a verb in the "that" form (-tunga "that I", -toq "that he, she"), -una explains or corrects: "it is that I …".

Inortuinngilanga. Isiaartungaana.
I am not late. I am early. (lit. it is that I am early)

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Greenlandic course

6 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 153. A few of them, with the words “-una: It Is” is about in bold:

Inortuinngilanga. Isiaartungaana. Nalinginnaasumik biileqarpoq.
I am not late. I am early. Traffic was normal.
Lesson 279

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