ᓇᓄᖅ
nanoq
The Inuktitut word for bear is ᓇᓄᖅ (nanoq).
ᓇᓄᖅ refers to a large mammal of the family Ursidae.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
nanoq
Did you know?
- In many Inuit cultures, there are strict traditional taboos regarding the naming of ᓇᓄᖅ while hunting. Some hunters avoid saying the word aloud to prevent the animal from hearing and escaping.
- Inuit mythology often depicts ᓇᓄᖅ as a shapeshifter capable of transforming into a human. This belief influenced how the animal was respected and spoken of in traditional stories.
- Because Inuktitut is a polysynthetic language, the root ᓇᓄᖅ can be combined with other modifiers to create long words that mean 'a place where bears are' or 'the bear's den' without needing separate words.
Examples in context
- ᓇᓄᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ.nanuq qaujisatquaniaqtuq.The bear will be observed.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a distance in the tundra.
- ᓇᓇᑯᒃ Nanakukᓇᓄᖅ ᑕᑯᕋᒃᑲ!nanuq takurakka!I see a bear!
- ᐅᓇ Unaᑎᑎᕋᐅᒃ!titirauk!Be quiet!
- ᓇᓇᑯᒃ Nanakukᓇᓄᖅ ᐅᓇ ᐊᐅᓚᔪᖅᑐᖅ.nanuq una aulajutuq.This bear is walking.
- ᐅᓇ Unaᐃᐊᓇᒃᑲᓗᒃ!ianakkaluk!Stay away from it!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ᓇᓄᖅ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
