Grammar and Syntax

Inuit Sign Language (IUR) is a sign language isolate native to the Territory of Nunavut. Details of IUR typology are known through investigations of existing materials, as in Schuit (2014). The language’s word order tends to be verb-final, but has not been fully analysed. Verb agreement is indicated by position and movement of signs relative to the speaker, while negation is indicated by a postpositional sign. Some interesting semantic features: There are only two basic colour terms (RED and BLACK), and only three basic kinship terms (ELDER, SIBLING, and SPOUSE).

MAN WOLVERINE SEE NEG-1

“the man didn’t see the wolverine”

YESTERDAY WOMAN TELL 1AUX3

“yesterday, I told the woman”

FISH 1TAKE3

“I take the fish”

All sentences rearranged, sourced from Schuit (2012)