To introduce yourself, you can add the postbase -u- to the end of your name followed by the verb ending +ruŋa:
Qunmiġu | Qunmiġu |
Qunmiġu :u +ruŋa = | |
Qunmiġuuruŋa | I am Qunmiġu. |
The postbase :u means to be. When it is added to a stem that ends in a consonant, it deletes the final consonant:
inuk | |
inuk :u +ruŋa = | |
inuuruŋa | I am a person. |
You can change the verb ending to +ruq to talk about she or he:
inuk | |
inuk + :u +ruq = | |
inuuruq | S/he is a person. |
If the last consonant is preceded by two vowels, you need to insert a g before adding :u.
Iñupiaq | Iñupiaq |
Iñupiaq :u +ruŋa = | |
Iñupiaguruŋa | I am Iñupiaq. |
To ask someone their name, you start with the root kiña, meaning who? You then add the affix :u to the end of kiña, followed by the question ending -viñ?:
kiña :u + viñ? | |
Kiñauviñ? | Who are you? |
Uyaġak :u +ruŋa = | |
Uyaġauruŋa. | I am Uyaġak. |
Another way to introduce yourself is just to use the word uvaŋa:
Uvaŋa...(name) | I am... |
Uvaŋa Qunmiġu. | I am Qunmiġu. |
Uvaŋa Uyaġak. | I am Uyaġak. |