Inuit
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
First attested 1755–65. From Inuktitut ᐃᓄᐃᑦ (inuit, “the people”), singular ᐃᓄᒃ (inuk, “person”), from Proto-Eskimo *inguɣ.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɪnjuːɪt/, /ˈɪnʊɪt/
Noun
Inuit (plural Inuit)
Synonyms
- Eskimo (potentially offensive in Alaska, Canada, Greenland)
- Inuk (proper singular form, uncommon)
- Inuits (somewhat improper plural, rare)
- Inupiat, Inupiaq, Iñupiaq, or Inupik (Alaska)
- Inuvialuit (Northwest Territories)
- Inuinnaq (Western Nunavut, Central Arctic Canada)
- Nunavummiut (Nunavut)
- Nunavimmiut (Nunavik, Northern Quebec)
- Labrador Inuit (Nunatsiavut, Labrador)
- Greenlander (Greenland)
- Kalaallit (southwest Greenland)
- Skraeling (historical)
Derived terms
- Canadian Inuit dog, Inuit dog
Related terms
- Inukshuk
Translations
Proper noun
Inuit
- Inuktitut, the Inuit language.
Synonyms
- Inupiatun, or Inupiak, and Qawiaraq (Alaska)
- Inuvialuktun (Northwest Territories)
- Inuinnaqtun (Western Nunavut, Central Arctic Canada)
- Inuktitut (Nunavut)
- Nunavimmiutitut (Nunavik, Northern Quebec)
- Nunatsiavummiutut, Labradorimiutut, or locally Inuttut (Nunatsiavut, Labrador)
- Greenlandic, or Kalaallisut (Greenland)
Translations
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Adjective
Inuit (comparative more Inuit, superlative most Inuit)
- Of or pertaining to Inuit people, language, or culture.
Usage notes
The northern indigenous peoples of North America used to be called Eskimo, but the term has declined in usage in North America because it was erroneously thought to derive from a pejorative; see the usage notes at Eskimo. Inuit is the accepted term in Canada, and has gained some currency in the United States. However, Eskimo continues to be the prevalent name in Alaska, and worldwide, for both the Inuit Inupiat people and the non-Inuit Yupik.
Also note that the terms Inuit and Eskimo do not include the related Aleut people (Unangam), nor the other Native (First Nations) peoples of the Arctic.
Many dictionaries do not list Inuits as a plural form. Inuit is usually used as an ethnonym with no singular form (like Chinese). The need to treat Inuit as a singular has been obviated by wider recognition of its etymological singular form Inuk in recent times.
Related terms
- Inuitisation, inuitisation
- Inuitise, inuitise
- Inuitization, inuitization
- Inuitize, inuitize
Translations
Noun
Inuit
- plural of Inuk
References
- “Inuit” in the Katherine Barker, editor, Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 2nd edition, Don Mills, Ont.; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, →ISBN.
- “Inuit” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
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French
Etymology
Noun
Inuit m (plural Inuits, feminine Inuite)
- Inuit (people)
Related terms
References
Inuktitut
Noun
Inuit
- plural of Inuk