Iņupiatun Eskimo Dictionary - SIL International

PHONOLOGY AND ORTHOGRAPHY
The modern writing system (orthography) of Iñupiatun utilizes writing symbols that are based on
Latin and thus the common English orthography. It was called the “new alphabet” some years back; it
has been called “atchagat” for some time. The following alphabet chart shows all writing symbols of
Iñupiatun that are used in the NANA region.
Consonants (Chart 1)
ATCHAGAT (ALPHABET CHART)
labial alveolar palatal retroflex velar uvular glottal
stops p t > ch k q
voiceless
â > ã
fricatives
s* sr
h
voiced
l** > á
fricatives v
y r
g
à
nasals m n > ñ ä
* Although s is phonetically alveolar, it sometimes appears as palatatalized t.
** The sounds l and á do not have audible friction, but they function as voiced continuants.
Vowels (Chart 2)
Stop Consonants
front central back
high i u
low a
Stops are the consonants in the first row of the alphabet chart. These sounds are produced when the
flow of air through the mouth is temporarily stopped, by either the lips or when the tongue is held
against the palate. Stops in Iñupiatun are voiceless and unaspirated, i.e. without a puff of air (except at
the end of a word).
Atchagat Iñupiatun word(s) with the sound English word containing equivalent
or similar sound
p putu ‘hole’ spill (without a puff of air)
t talu ‘door’; putu ‘hole’ still (without a puff of air)
ch iñuich ‘people’ church
This /ch/ is a palatalization of /t/, as indicated by the symbol > on the chart above
k kukik ‘fingernail’ skill (without a puff of air)
q aqpik ‘cloud berry’; taaq ‘dark’ no equivalent
The /q/ is produced farther back in the mouth than /k/.
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