When I have time to waste, I think I'm going to start posting things in various other languages (specifically, Iñupiaq... maybe Esperanto). This is in addition to my language's updates. One of these days, I'd like to post an entry explaining basic Iñupiaq grammar. For today, however, I'll start with a basic "word of the day" thing.

Iñupiaq word: Nanuq
Pronunciation: [nænuq] The "q" is pronounced farther back in the throat than in English.
English meaning: Polar bear (Ursus maritimus in Latin, meaning "water bear")
Trivia: The University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF) mascot is the "nanook," based of this Iñupiaq word for polar bear. It adapted the English spelling of the word, however.

Hopefully, I have the pronounciation right. I'm a bit new to the IPA.

Ever since this morning, I've been thinking of posting, but I forgot one of the things I wanted to post about. I'll just mention the new language I'm creating. Right now, I'm thinking the grammar will be something like that of Iñupiaq, where there are many suffixes to add on to a (verb) root.

( The parka is nice (for example) )

Uvlupak, aglaŋñiaŋtuŋa LiveJournal-mi Iñupiatunlu tannitunlu (atakii alianaitchuqlu siġļiŋnaqtuqlu). Piyumisuuruŋa piuŋiļaq, aglaan uvlupak aliannaqtuŋa. Siļagiktuq - qannikumautuq qiiyanaqtuq. Apun nakauġiruŋa. Qannikuuŋitchuq natiġnaaġmi New Mexico-mi, aglaan iġġimi qannikuutuq. Aaqagu, maniruŋa iluqasi qiñigaaq qannikun.

Today, I will write in my LiveJournal in both English and Iñupiaq (because it's both fun and challenging). Usually I do nothing, but today I am bored. The weather is nice - it might snow if it gets cold. I like the snow. It rarely snows in the valleys of New Mexico, but it usually does snow in the mountains. Later, I'll show you all a picture of the snow falling.

a ch g ġ h i k l ļ ł (ł.= ŀ) n ñ ŋ p q r s sr t u v y

A CH G Ġ H I K L Ļ Ł (Ł. = Ŀ) N Ñ Ŋ P Q R S SR T U V Y

Edit: ḷḶŁłŊŋĠġ
Aa Ch ch Gg Ġġ Hh Ii Kk Ll Ḷḷ __ Mm Nn ÑAñ Ŋŋ Pp Qq Rr Ss Sr sr Tt Uu Vv Yy

I had some maktak today in Iñupiaq class. Maktak is "whale skin with blubber" (quoting my dictionary). It was good, though... just very chewy. :-P



I also received an Eskimo name, Qaqisauruq, which means "brain" and also "computer" in Iñupiaq.

I've had my first class of the day, Inupiaq. That is an Eskimo language spoken in northern Alaska. It's going to be painful trying to pronounce everything.