Inupiaq
/ˌiː.nuːˈpiː.æk/noun
An Iñupiat person or the Iñupiaq language, spoken in northern Alaska.
Did you know?In English, Inupiaq is usually an ethnonym and language name, but in the language itself it is tied to a broader Inuit identity, showing how names can preserve ancient community boundaries for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Eskimo-Aleut
PEA
*iŋuɣ- / *iñu-
“a person, human being”
Proto-Inuit
PII
*iñuk
“a person; human being”
Iñupiat / Iñupiaq
Inuit
iñuk + -piaq
“real person; genuine human being”
19th Century
English
Inupiaq
“the Iñupiaq people and their language in Alaska”
Modern English
English
Inupiaq
“an Iñupiat person or the Iñupiaq language”