Overview

Inuvialuktun is part of the Inuit language family.  Inuvialuktun is the language of the Inuvialuit, the Inuit of the Western Canadian Arctic. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) defines Inuvialuktun as consisting of three distinct dialects:

• Uummarmiutun (“People of the Evergreen Trees/Willows” dialect of Alaskan Iñupiaq - Aklavik and Inuvik)
• Sallirmiutun (“Coastal People” dialect known historically as Siglitun or Inuvialuktun Proper - Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, and Sachs Harbour)
• Kangiryuarmiutun (“Big Bay People” dialect of Inuinnaqtun - Ulukhaktok)

In 2019, there were 555 speakers in the NWT.

Unlike the IRC, the Government of the Northwest Territories officially groups Sallirmiutun with Uummarmiutun under Inuvialuktun and recognizes Kangiryuarmiutun separately as Inuinnaqtun. ISO 639 groups Sallirmiutun with Kangiryuarmiutun together under Inuinnaqtun/Western Inuktitut (IKT), and Uummarmiutun under North Alaskan Inupiatun (IPK-ESI).

Inuvialuktun is the primary Indigenous language spoken in:

• Tuktoyaktuk
• Paulatuk
• Sachs Harbour
• Aklavik
• Inuvik

There is also a significant number of people who speak Inuvialuktun in:

• Ulukhaktok

International Standards Organization (ISO) codes

• Inuinnaqtun/Western Canadian Inuktitut – IKT
• Sallirmiutun/Siglitun – no ISO code
• Iñupiaq (macrolanguage) – IPK
• North Alaskan Inupiatun (Uummarmiutun) – ESI

Sallirmiutun consonants

Uummarmiutun consonants

Vowels

Words and Phrases

Inuvialuktun Resources

• Greetings
• Présentations