Inuit

See also: 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 Inuits or Inuit)

  1. A member of any of several Aboriginal peoples of coastal Arctic Canada, Alaska, and Greenland.

Synonyms

Derived terms

  • Canadian Inuit dog, Inuit dog
  • Inukshuk

Translations

Proper noun

Inuit

  1. Inuktitut, the Inuit language.

Synonyms

Translations

Adjective

Inuit (comparative more Inuit, superlative most Inuit)

  1. 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.

  • Inuitisation, inuitisation
  • Inuitise, inuitise
  • Inuitization, inuitization
  • Inuitize, inuitize

Translations

Noun

Inuit

  1. plural of Inuk

References


French

Etymology

From Inuktitut ᐃᓄᐃᑦ (inuit, the people).

Noun

Inuit m (plural Inuits, feminine Inuite)

  1. Inuit (people)

References


Inuktitut

Noun

Inuit

  1. plural of Inuk
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