Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian
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A language of Canada
35,200 (2016 census).
Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, and Quebec provinces: Hudson Strait, east through Nunavut, southern Baffin Island; northern coastal settlements in Quebec, and along North Atlantic coast.
2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Nunavut Territory (1988, Inuit Language Protection Act, Chapter 17). Statutory provincial working language in NWT (1988, NWT Official Languages Act, Chapter 56 (Supplemented), Section 4), restricted official use.
Quebec-Labrador Inuktitut (“Labrador Eskimo” (pej.), Labrador Inuktitut, Labrador Inuttitut, “Quebec Eskimo” (pej.), Rigolet Inuktitut, Tarramiut), Rigolet Inuktitut, Kivalliq, Baffin Inuktitut (Mittimatalik). A member of macrolanguage Inuktitut [iku].
SOV; dual number; polysynthetic; ergativity.
Vigorous except in Labrador, where less than half are speakers. In Labrador average is over 20 years old; possibly a few children at Nain. Also use English [eng].
Literacy rate in L1: 10%–30%. Literacy rate in L2: 75%–100%. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 1826–2012.
In Northern Quebec and the Northwest Territories to the Central Arctic, it is spoken by over 90% of the population. Inuit is the name of the people, Inuktitut of the language.