Native speakers 410 (2011 census) | Glottolog copp1244 | |
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Native to Canada (Nunavut and Northwest Territories) Language family Eskimo–Aleut
Eskimo
Inuit
Inuvialuktun
Inuinnaqtun Official language in Nunavut
Northwest Territories Regulated by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami | ||
Inuinnaqtun ([inuinːɑqtun]; natively meaning like the real human beings/peoples), is an indigenous Inuit language of Canada and a dialect of Inuvialuktun. It is related very closely to Inuktitut, and some scholars, such as Richard Condon, believe that Inuinnaqtun is more appropriately classified as a dialect of Inuktitut. The governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut recognise Inuinnaqtun as an official language in addition to Inuktitut. The Official Languages Act of Nunavut, passed by the Senate of Canada on June 11, 2009, recognized Inuinnaqtun as one of the official languages of Nunavut.
Inuinnaqtun is used primarily in the communities of Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk in the western Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. Outside of Nunavut, it is spoken in the hamlet of Ulukhaktok, where it is also known as Kangiryuarmiutun. It is written using the Latin script.