Inuk
/ˈi.nuk/noun
An Inuit person; the singular form of Inuit in many dialects and contexts.
Did you know?In Inuktitut, Inuit is a plural noun and inuk is the singular form, showing how grammar itself encodes community and personhood.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Inuit
PII
*inuk
“A person; human being”
Modern Inuktitut
Inuktitut
inuk
“One person; an Inuit individual”
Modern English
English
Inuk
“A singular Inuit person, borrowed from Inuit languages”
Modern English
English
Inuit
“The Inuit peoples collectively”