Iñupiaq Language: Kobuk Junior Dictionary

The Kobuk Junior Dictionary is from the 1979 Alaska Native Language Center Publication, available for purchase for $30 the ANLC website.

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M

measure

to measure, to try out
uuktuq-

he is measuring it
uuktuġaa

He is measuring the length of his own house.
Uuktuġaa taktilaaŋa tupiġmi.

2. a measuring tool, a pattern
uuktuun, dl. uuktuutik. pl. uuktuutit

The measurement is used for working on wood and skins.
Uuktuun atuġnaqtuq suliruni unaqsiñik naaggaqaa iḷiqniġnik.

meat

-lit. food-
niqi

Take the meat off of it.
Niqaa piiġḷugu.

2. meat lit. real food, traditional original Eskimo food
niqipiaq, dl. niqipiak, pl. niqipiat

A person is to eat more meat than sweets.
Niqipiaq iñuum niġitluktaksraġigaa siiġñaqtaaniñ.

medicine

iñuunniun, dl. iñuunniutik, pl. iñuunniutit

Medicine helps sick people.
Iñuunniun ikayuiraqtuq atniġñaqtuanik.

medium

-communicates with the spirit world-, lit. that which can conjure spirits aŋatkuġnaq

I spoke with him through a medium.
Aŋatkuġnakun uqaġvigigiga.

meek

to be meek, humble
atchik-

He is meek, humble.
Atchiksuq.

2. he is meek, retiring, he is not trying to be something
piunianġitchuq, dl. piunianġitchuk, pl. piunianġitchut

He is not trying to act big, he is meek.
Piunianġitchuq, atchiksuq.

meet

to meet by chance
nalaurruti-

she meets someone -by chance- while traveling
nalaurrutiruq, dl. nalaurrutiruk, pl. nalaurrutirut

They -2- met by chance.
Nalaurrutiruk.

The man was walking and he chanced upon -met- his best friend.
Aŋun pisrukhuni nalaurrutiruq iḷannaġmiñun. or
Aŋun pisrukhuni nalautkaa iḷannani.

2. to meet -face-to-face-
paaq-

she met him
paaġaa, dl. paaġaak, pl. paaġaat

My father met my mother who went berry picking.
Taataa paaġaa aanaga aullaqsruġiaqtuaq.

3. to have a meeting, to get together
katima-

They are having a meeting.
Katimarut.

Let us have a short meeting.
Katimallakta.

4. meeting place
katimmavik, dl. katimmaviik, pl. katimmaviich

The meeting place has a big room.
Katimmavik inituruq.

5. traditional meeting hall, community hall
qargi, dl. qargik, pl. qargich

In the old days, feasts were held in the traditional meeting houses.
Taimani qargiñi niġiñiaġuuniqsuat.

melt

to melt, to thaw
auk-

it is melted -ice, snow-
aukkaa, dl. obj. aukkik, pl. obj. aukkai

The snow has melted.
Apun aukkaa.

mend

to mend, to sew
killaiyaq-

She is sewing clothes..
Killaiyaqtuq atnuġaanik.

2. to mend, to patch, to fit together, to try to fix
tumaqsruq- or tuŋmiq-

She is mending her mukluks.
Tuŋmiġik kammaŋni.

3. to mend, patch fabric
iḷaaqtuq-

She is patching her clothes.
Iḷaaqtuġai atnuġaani.

menstruation

aalġułiq

mercy

nagliŋŋuuġun

Have mercy on me.
Nagliŋŋuuġutiqallaŋniaŋŋa.

merganser

see also duck

red-breasted merganser
paisugruk, dl. paisugruuk, pl. paisugruich

The red-breasted merganser eats fish.
Paisugruk qaluktuġuuruq.

mesentery apron
itchauraq, dl. itchaurak, pl. itchaurat

Caribou and reindeer mesentery aprons are delicious.
Tuttullu qunŋiḷḷu itchauraŋich niġiruni kayumiktut.

middle

middle
qitiq

The middle of it is red.
Qitqa kaviqsuq.

2. the one in between, the one in the middle
qitiqłiq

She is in the middle.
Qitiqłiuruq.

milk

miluk
see also breast

mind

isrumman

His mind/thinking is a little off [poor thing].
Isrummataa nalaunŋaiġḷuġniqsuq.

mine

piga, dl. [obj.] pika, pl. [obj.] pitka

That cup there is mine.
Uvaŋa taamna qallun piga.

Those cups are mine.
Uvaŋa taapkua qallutit pitka.

2. it is mine
pigigiga

That is mine.
Taamna pigigiga.

mink

tiġiaqpak, dl. tiġiaqpaak, pl. tiġiaqpaich

The mink is brown in summer time.
Tiġiaqpak iliktausruuruq auraġmi.

mirror

mirror, reflector
taġġaqtuun, dl. taġġaqtuutik. pl. taġġaqtuutit

You can see your reflection in the mirror.
Qiñitlagiñ taġġan taġġaqtuutmi.

2. to look into a mirror
taġġaqtuq-

He is looking into the mirror.
Taġġaqtuqtuq.

Don’t stare into the mirror too much!
Taġġaqtuvaałłakmiñak!

miss

to miss, to omit
minit-

he missed her, she omitted him
minitkaa, dl. minitkaak, pl. minitkaat

When he served the food, he missed her.
Autaaqami niqinik, minitkaa.

2. to miss the target
uniuq-

he misses it -the target-
uniuġaa, dl. uniuġaak, pl. uniuġaat

He misses the nail when he hammers.
Kaukami uniuġaa kikiak.

3. to miss the presence of a person or thing
piitchi-

he is missing something
piitchiruq, dl. piitchiruk, pl. piitchirut

I miss you.
Piitchigikpiñ.

She missed him.
Piitchigaa.

mistake

to make a mistake, error
kinnaksaq-

he made a mistake
kinnaksaqtuq, dl. kinnaksaqtuk, pl. kinnaksaqtut

Excuse my mistake.
Pisanġitchikpiñ, kinnaksaġniqsuŋa.

2. to go the wrong way, to make a mistake
killukuaq-

he is making a mistake
killukuaqtuq, dl. killukuaqtuk, pl. killukuaqtut

He made a mistake and went on the wrong trail.
Kinnaksaqhuni killukuaġniqsuq.

misty

to be misty
isruġayaak-

it is misty
isruġayaaktuq

It was misty early this morning.
Isruġayaaktuq uvlaatchiaq.