Inuktitut syllabics | |
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![]() Inuktitut syllabary. Extra characters with dots represent long vowels; When romanised, the vowel is duplicated. | |
Script type | |
Time period | 1870s–present |
Direction | Left-to-right ![]() |
Languages | Inuktitut |
Related scripts | |
Parent systems | Cree syllabics
|
ISO 15924 | |
ISO 15924 | Cans (440), Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics |
Unicode | |
Unicode alias | Canadian Aboriginal |
Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics, U+1400–167F (chart) | |
Inuktitut syllabics (Inuktitut: ᖃᓂᐅᔮᖅᐸᐃᑦ, romanized: qaniujaaqpait,[2] or ᑎᑎᕋᐅᓯᖅ ᓄᑖᖅ, titirausiq nutaaq) is an abugida-type writing system used in Canada by the Inuktitut-speaking Inuit of the territory of Nunavut and the Nunavik region of Quebec. In 1976, the Language Commission of the Inuit Cultural Institute made it the co-official script for the Inuit languages, along with the Latin script.
The name qaniujaaqpait [qaniujaːqpaˈit] derives from the root qaniq, meaning "mouth". The alternative, Latin-based writing system is named qaliujaaqpait (ᖃᓕᐅᔮᖅᐸᐃᑦ), and it derives from qaliit, a word describing the markings or the grain in rocks. Titirausiq nutaaq [titiʁauˈsiq nuˈtaːq] meaning "new writing system" is to be seen in contrast to titirausiit nutaunngittut (ᑎᑎᕋᐅᓰᑦ ᓄᑕᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ), the "old syllabics" used before the reforms of 1976.[3]
Inuktitut is one variation on Canadian Aboriginal syllabics, and can be digitally encoded using the Unicode standard. The Unicode block for Inuktitut characters is called Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics.[citation needed]
tusaalanga-qaniujaaqpait
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).