Ever wanted to learn Inuktitut? Try this - Action News
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Ever wanted to learn Inuktitut? Try this

Atelihai, pronounced ahh-tee-lee-hi, is the Inuktitut word for "hello" or "welcome." Its one of the more than 150 words and phrases the Lets Speak Inuktitut project, or UKlalautta Inuttitut, has recorded and published on the popular audio-sharing site, Sound Cloud.

Lets Speak Inuktitut program developed through the Tradition and Transition project

Sara Townley speaks and teaches Inuktitut. (Katie Breen/CBC)

Atelihai, pronounced ahh-tee-lee-hi, is the Inuktitut word for "hello" or "welcome."

It's one of the more than 130words and phrases the Let's Speak Inuktitut project, or UKlalautta Inuttitut, has recorded and published on the popular audio-sharing siteSoundCloud.

"We know that the Inuktitut language here in Labrador is starting to almost disappear," Sara Townley told CBC's Labrador Morning.

The Let's Speak Inuktitut project was created through a partnership between the Nunatsiavut government and Memorial University called Tradition and Transition. (soundcloud.com)

"So I think having things like this onlineis a really good resource for somebody to learn Inuktitut."

Townley isn't involved with the project but she teaches the language and likes that the program breaks things down into syllables.

Inuktitut is full of lengthy words. Some phrases that would be five or six words in English are usually one or two longer words when translated into in Inuktitut.

This screenshot shows the audio waveform of the Inuktitut way of saying 'I don't like mosquitoes.' The phrase is said, broken down into syllables and repeated. (soundcloud.com)

Take the sentence, 'Lots of flies out, eh?' In Inuktitut, it's kittugialuviningai.

"Kittugiais a fly," Townley explained.

Put thatin front of the luviningai, and "it tells you there's a lot of them," she said.

Loss of language

Townley said cultural genocide is what caused Inuktitut to be spoken less but she says she believes it'll come back gradually, and resources like Let's Speak Inuktitut will help with that.

"I think it's going to at least awaken their minds again," she said.

"Maybe it [the language] is just sleeping right now."

These are some phrases:

The entire catalogue of sound bites can be found here.

Let's Speak Inuktitut, or UKlalautta Inuttitut, was created through the Tradition and Transition project, a five-year partnership between the Nunatsiavutgovernment and Memorial University.

This is the logo for the Tradition and Transition, or PiusituKaujuit Asianguvalliajuillu, partnership. (Facebook)

"Having this uploaded to SoundCloud and sharing it through the Tradition and Transition Facebook page and Twitter allows people to see it on social media and use that way to preserve Inuktitut," said Silpa Surak, the language program co-ordinator with theNunatisavut government and the youth representative on Tradition and Transition's management committee.

Engagement increasing

She's also who you hear when you click each clip she records the words and phrases, picking expressions appropriate for the time of year.

Surak saidthe project's engagement is increasing with people are asking questions.

That just goes to show people are actually interested in learning moreInuktitut.- SilpaSurak

"I think that just goes to show people are actually interested in learning more Inuktitut," she said.

"Having those responses helps to show what kinds of things they want to learn and that we need to keep working on this."

Inuktitut spellings vary throughout theregions where the language is spoken. Nunatsiavut, Labrador, spellings are used in the Let's Speak Inuktitut project.