How many are we talking about?

 

People learning the Alutiiq language commonly ask, “How do I make a word plural?” In English, speakers often add an s to a noun to indicate more than one item. For example, one bear becomes many bears. The addition of an s tells us that there are at least 2 bears, but perhaps 3, 4, or even 10!

In Alutiiq creating a plural noun is a little trickier. Most Alutiiq nouns end in q. The q tells us the noun in singular. For example, wiinaq means a sea lion.  To create a plural for wiinaq, however, you have to know how many sea lions you want to discuss. If an Alutiiq speaker wants to say that she saw two sea lions on a rock in the harbor – wiinaq takes the dual form – wiinak. In this instance the q at the end of the word becomes a k to indicate a plural of two.  If however an Alutiiq speaker wants to say that Kodiak is home to many sea lions, a different type of plural is needed. Here, the q at the end of wiinaq becomes a t – creating the word wiinat. This word tells us that there are at least three sea lions, or perhaps many more.

Wiinaq – one sea lion (singular)
Wiinak – two sea lions (dual)
Wiinat – three or more sea lions (multiple)

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