The Word of the Day program was launched in February 2017, to promote Inuktitut language and Inuit artwork. The program posts a daily Inuktitut word and/or phrase with translation and pronunciation information and pairs it with Inuit artwork. In winter 2019 the program was expanded to include audio clips of each word and phrase. This expansion was supported through Government of Nunavut Culture and Heritage funding. Check this page daily or follow QIA on Facebook, Instagram and Twi
Beginner Words
Words / ᐅᖃᐅᓰᑦ
U-qau-siit
Books / ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᑦ
U-qa-li-maa-gat
Speaking / ᓂᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ/ᐅᖃᓕᒪᓂᖅ
Ni-llia-niq / U-qa-li-ma-niq
Language / ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ
U-qau-siq
Counting / ᓈᓴᐃᔪᖅ
Naa-sai-juq
Family / ᐃᓚᒌᑦ
I-la-giit
Kissing / ᑯᓂᒃ
Ku-nik
Sun / ᓯᕿᓂᖅ
Si-qi-niq
Boating / ᐅᒥᐊᖅᑐᖅᑑᒃ
U-mi-aq-tuq-tuuk
Kelp / ᕿᖅᑯᐊᖅ
Qiq-quaq
Island / ᕿᑭᖅᑕᖅ
Qi-kiq-taq
Arctic fox / ᑎᕆᒐᓐᓂᐊᖅ
Ti-rig-a-ni-aq
Running rabbit / ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᕗᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ
Ukaliq pangaliktuq
Arctic hare / ᐅᑲᓕᖅ
U-ka-liq
Caribou / ᑐᒃᑐ
Tuk-tu
Walrus / ᐊᐃᕕᖅ
A-i-viq
Polar bear / ᓇᓄᖅ
Na-nuq
Fish / ᐃᖃᓗᒃ
I-qa-luk
Bowhead whale / ᐊᕐᕕᒃ
Ar-vik
Narwhal / ᐊᓪᓚᙳᐊᖅ/ᑑᒑᓕᒃ
Al-lan-ngu-aq/tu-gaa-lik
Narwhal tusk / ᐊᓪᓚᙳᐊᑉ ᑑᒑᖓ
Al-lanng-u-ap tuu-gaa-nga
Owl /ᐅᒃᐱᔾᔪᐊᖅ
Uk-pij-ju-aq
Loon / ᑐᓪᓕᐊᕐᔪᒃ
Tul-li-ar-juk
Raven / ᑐᓗᒐᖅ
Tu-lu-gaq
Ptarmigan / ᐊᕿᒡᒋᖅ
A-qig-giq
Bird / ᑎᖕᒥᐊᖅ
Ting-mi-aq
Feathers / ᓱᓗᐃᑦ
Su-lu-it
Spring / ᐅᐱᕐᖔᖅ
U-pirn-gaaq
Season / ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒥ
Starry night / ᐅᓪᓗᕆᐊᒐᓴᐃᑦ ᐅᓐᓄᐊᒃᑯᑦ
Ulluriagasait unnuakkut
Fall / ᐅᑭᐊᔅᓵᖅ
U-ki-as-saaq
Autumn
Winter / ᐅᑭᐅᖅ
u-ki-uq
Fun / ᖁᕕᐊᓇᖅᑐᖅ
Quvianaqtuq
Dream / ᓯᓐᓇᑦᑐᐊᖅ
Sin-nat-tu-aq
Diving / ᐊᖅᑲᐅᒪᓂᖅ
Aq-qa-u-ma-niq
Fishing lures / ᓂᒃᓯᑦ
Nik-sit
Full moon / ᑕᖅᑭᕆᒃᑐᖅ
Taq-qi-rik-tuq
Floe edge / ᓯᓈ
Si-naa
Lost / ᐊᓯᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ
A-siu-si-ma-juq
Sewing / ᒥᕐᓱᖅᑐᖅ
Mir-suq-tuq
Love / ᓇᓪᓕᓐᓂᖅ
Na-llin-niq
Sunset / ᓯᕿᓂᖅ ᓂᐱᔪᖅ
Si-qi-niq ni-pi-juq
Intermediate Words
Courage / ᑲᑉᐱᐊᑕᐃᑦᑐᖅ
Kap-pia-tai-ttuq
Gratitude / ᖁᔭᓕᓂᖅ
Qu-ja-li-niq
Vision / ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖑᐊᖅᑕᖏᑦ
Ta-kun-na-nguaq-tan-git
Storytelling / ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᕐᓂᖅ
U-nik-kaaq-tu-ar-niq
Twilight / ᓯᕿᓂᐅᑉ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᑭᓪᓕᓕᔮᕐᓂᖓᓃᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᖃᐅᒪᓂᖓ
Si-qi-niup si-laup ki-lli-li-jaar-ni-nga-nii-ti-llu-gu qau-ma-ni-nga
Transformation / ᐊᓯᔾᔨᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ
A-sij-jip-al-li-a-juq
Resolutions / ᐃᓱᒪᑖᕈᑏᑦ
I-su-ma-taa-ru-tiit
Pride / ᐅᐱᒍᓱᓐᓂᓕᒃ
Upigusunnilik
Northern lights / ᐊᖅᓴᕐᓃᑦ
Aq-sar-niit
Low tide / ᑎᓂᙵᔪᖅ
Ti-nin-nga-juq
Leap year / ᐊᕐᕌᒍ ᐋᖅᑭᒋᐊᕈᑖᓂ
Ar-raa-gu aaq-qi-gi-a-ru-taani
Imagining/ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᙳᐊᕐᓂᖅ
Ta-kun-na-nguar-niq
Iridescent / ᐊᒥᐊᖏᑦ ᕿᓪᓕᖅᑐᑦ
A-mi-ang-it qi-lliq-tut
Exuberance / ᖁᕕᐊᓚᑦᑐᖅ
Qu-vi-a-lat-tuq
Dictionary / ᐅᖃᐅᓰᑦ ᑐᑭᖏᑦ
U-qau-siit tu-ki-ngit
Legends / ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᑦ
U-nik-kaaq-tu-at
Resilience / ᐊᓐᓇᒍᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅ
An-na-gu-un-naq-niq
Mosquitoes / ᑭᑦᑐᕆᐊᑦ
Kit-tu-ri-at
Phrases
Good morning / ᐅᓪᓛᒃᑯᑦ
u-llaa-kkut
Connection, Loving each other / ᓇᓪᓕᒋᐅᑎᔫᒃ
Nal-li-giu-ti-juuk
Riding a snowmobile / ᖃᒧᑕᐅᔭᖅᑐᖅ
Qa-mu-tau-jaq-tuq
On a clear calm day / ᐃᑯᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒍ
I-kul-li-at-il-u-gu
Out on the ice / ᒪᐅᓕᕆᐊᕐᓯᒪᔪᖅ
Ma-u-li-ri-ar-si-ma-juq
New opportunities, fresh start / ᐱᒋᐊᑦᑎᐊᕐᕕᔅᓴᖅ
Pi-giat-tiar-vis-saq
National Indigenous Peoples Day / ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒋᔅᓯ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑐᑐᖃᐃᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓐᓂ
Quviasugissi Kanatami Nunaqaqtutuqait Ullunganni
Living on the land / ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᕗᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ
I-qa-luit i-ngi-rra-jut
Literacy, reading and writing / ᐅᖃᓕᒫᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ ᑎᑎᕋᖃᑦᑕᓂᕐᓗ
U-qa-li-maa-qat-ta-rniq ti-ti-ra-qat-ta-nir-lu
Go, Go ahead / ᐊᑏ
A-tii
Coldest time of year / ᓇᓕᖅᑲᐃᑦᑐᖅ
na-liq-qait-tuq
Heading in the same direction / ᑐᕌᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᕝᕗᖓᔅᓴᐃᓐᓇᖅ
Tu-raaq-tut tav-vu-nga-ssai-nnaq
Ice gathering / ᓂᓚᒃᑕᕐᓂᖅ
Ni-lak-tar-niq
Hunting beluga / ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ
Qi-la-lu-gar-ni-aq-tut
Getting ice to make tea / ᓂᓚᒃᑕᕐᓂᖅ ᑏᓕᐅᕋᔅᓴᒥᒃ
Ni-lak-tar-niq tii-liu-ras-sa-mik
Don’t get left behind / ᕿᒪᑦᑕᐅᑦᑕᐃᓕᒋᑦ
Qi-mat-taut-tai-li-git
Deep in thought / ᐃᓱᒪᔅᓴᕐᓯᐅᖅᑐᖅ
I-su-mas-sar-si-uq-tuq
Daylight is getting longer / ᐅᓪᓗᖅᑐᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ
U-lluq-tu-si-va-llia-juq
Breath of life / ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖅ ᐃᓅᓯᖅ
A-nir-niq i-nuu-siq
Berring picking / ᓄᓂᕙᑦᑐᖅ
Nu-ni-vat-tuq
Asking for something / ᑐᔅᓯᕋᖅᑐᖅ
Tus-si-raq-tuq
The first day of spring / ᐅᐱᕐᖓᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ
U-pir-ngaq-til-lu-gu
The return of the sun / ᓯᕿᓂᐅᑉ ᐅᑎᕐᓂᖓ
Si-qi-ni-up u-tir-nin-ga
Going fishing / ᐃᖃᓪᓕᐊᖅᑐᖅ
I-qal-liaq-tuq
To have strength / ᓄᑭᖃᕐᓂᖅ
Nu-kiq-ar-niq
Mother’s love / ᐊᓈᓇᐅᑉ ᓇᓪᓕᓐᓂᖓ
A-naa-na-up nal-linn-in-ga
Learning from your father / ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᑖᑕᓐᓂᒃ
I lin-ni-ar-niq a-taa-tan-nik
Happy Nunavut Day / ᓄᓇᕘᑉ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓂ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᖃᑎᒋᕙᔅᓯ
Nunavuup Ullungani Quviasuqatigivassi
Happy Canda Day / ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓂ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᖃᑎᒋᕙᔅᓯ
Kanataup Ullungani Quviasuqatigivassi
Spring break up of sea ice / ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᑐᕙᐃᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᑐᑦ
Nunaliit tuvaiqpallialiqtut
Every Child Matters / ᐃᓘᓐᓇᑎᒃ ᓱᕈᓰᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᒻᒪᑕ
I-lu-un-na-tik su-ru-siit pim-ma-ri-um-ma-ta
On September 30th Orange Shirt Day recognizes the impact the Indian residential school system had on children, families and Indigenous communities for over a century —an impact that continues today. Support Orange Shirt Day and show that everyone around us matters.
Let’s Talk / ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒌᓚᐅᕐᓗᒃ
U-qa-qa-ti-gii-laur-luk
Let’s Talk Day, a day devoted to talking about mental health. Help us spread the word, together we can create supportive communities. Just having an open conversation about mental illness can make a huge difference. ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒌᕝᕕᓴᐅᒻᒪᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ, ᐅᓪᓗᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ. ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕆᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᑲᑐᔾᔨᓗᑕ ᐋᖅᑭᔅᓱᐃᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒌᖃᑦᑕᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒌᓂᑦ. ᐃᓱᒪᕐᓱᕐᓗᑕ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓗᑕ ᐃᓱᒪᔮᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐅᑉ ᒥᔅᓵᓄᑦ ᐱᕚᓪᓕᕈᑎᖃᕈᓐᓇᕕᐅᑎᑦᑐᖅ.
