|
|
| |
|
Inuit names are fortunately being revived after almost becoming lost and replaced by alternate naming conventions. Enjoy 390 Inuit names and meanings below ordered by name A to Z. While paging through, select names to see their meanings and assocations. Don't forget, save your friends the cost of a baby names book. And, thanks for your decisions and support making this the best baby names and meanings site on the web.
Baby Shower Games.
Make an Inuit Names word search puzzle from these search results!
Prenatal Nutrition. See foods high in
calcium,
folate,
iron, and
protein.
The Inuit Creation Belief
Inuit (real peopleE believe the god of creation was the Raven who possessed the powers of both bird and man, and could transform into man simply by lifting his beak over his head like a mask. When everything was dark and silent, Raven made the world and waters with the beat of his wings, then filled the earth with pea-pod plants. Five days later, one of the pods opened allowing the first Inuit man to emerge. Dizzy and confused, the man drank from a pool of water. Noticing this motion, Raven landed to observe the man. Realizing he would need food, Raven went retrieved some berries that would become the source of all crops. From clay and with the beating of his wings, Raven also created sheep, fish, birds, and other animals to serve as food for man. He also created the bear as something for man to fear. Later, Raven noticed man was lonely. So, using clay and fine water grass from the creek for hair, Raven created the first Inuit woman to be mans companion and helper. Man was very pleased. Raven taught the Inuit couple how to make clothes from skins of muskrat and seal, snares to catch deer, and a bed from dry moss. In it, they slept very warmly; protected against the frigid polar night. And together they began the Inuit people, filling the earth with their children.
Survival of Inuktun - the Inuit Language
Inuktun is a beautiful language spoken by native people of the snow-covered North including Alaska, and arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, Denmark, and Russia.
Native people speaking Inuktun include what some incorrectly refer to as Eskimo.
It has survived in the igloo somewhat through storytelling often accompanied by song. Many events are described in these songs that tend to focus on hunting tales especially involving hardship during the hunt. Inuktun is divided into two major dialects: Inupik and Yupik, which can be divided further but are themselves pretty similar especially in terms of grammatical structure.
Inuit Names and Naming Conventions
Inuit have developed one of the deepest and most intricate naming systems in the world based on a powerful form of commemoration some describe as reincarnation; or, that the name itself is the persons soul. [1] Names are passed from one generation to the next making babies the boneEof all ancestors who shared the name before. Naming is furthermore central to Inuit culture in that those who share the same name are expected to help each other, [2]
with social bonds being particularly important in a resource-sparse arctic climate where daily life can often be a matter of survival.
Traditional Inuit names reflect important cultural elements such as religion, the natural polar
environment,
and their community living harmoniously within that environment. Names also referred to their ancestors, and also anatomy or personal / physical attributes. For example:
|
|
Religion, Spirits, Mythology
Names with religious or spiritual connections include
good or
guardian spirit names like
Agloolik or
Atka, and
evil spirits and
gods such as
Aipalovik,
Keelut, and
Tonrar.
Natural Environment
Many aspects of the physical enviroment such as features and animals may be used. For example,
names meaning snow,
ice, or
mountain such as
Massak, or
Nunataq.
Considering the Raven is the Inuits creator god, reference to animals carries a special significance.
In-fact, Inuit assign diety status or associate supernatural powers with many animals.
Inuit animal names include
Nanuq - God of Polar Bears,
Chu
meaning beaver,
Oogrooq
meaning seal,
Tikaani
meaning wolf,
and many others.
Anatomy and Physical Attributes
Physical attributes are selected as meanings for those traits Inuit parents wish their children to possess such as
strength,
beauty, and
intelligence.
|
Revival of Inuit Names
After decades of pressure and influence to change their naming conventions, many Inuit are cooperating in an effort to revive their traditional names. Names are being changed back in court and restoring a sense of autonomy and pride in their culture.
References:
- Williamson 1974: 23-24
- Alia, Valerie. Names and Nunavut: Culture and Identity in Arctic Canada. Pg. 19.
Social Networking.
Add Who's Your Baby? to your Facebook tabs, or
Like / Tweet about Inuit Names page to share with your friends.
User Comments. Talk about Inuit Names with other users.
|
|
|
