An Ontology of Landscape and Seascape in Greenland: The Linguistic Encoding of Land in Kalaallisut1

The linguistic encoding of landscape and seascape in Kalaallisut, an Unangan-Yupik-Inuit language spoken on the west coast of Greenland, exists within a complex domain of spatial language, coming together with a coastal-based orientation system and an extensive demonstrative system anchored in the g...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of American linguistics 2019-01, Vol.85 (1), p.1-43
Main Authors: Grenoble, Lenore A., McMahan, Hilary, Petrussen, Alliaq Kleist
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The linguistic encoding of landscape and seascape in Kalaallisut, an Unangan-Yupik-Inuit language spoken on the west coast of Greenland, exists within a complex domain of spatial language, coming together with a coastal-based orientation system and an extensive demonstrative system anchored in the geophysiography of Greenland. In this paper we describe the Kalaallisut landscape lexicon, unpacking its categorization as well as the close relationship between landscape and toponyms. As a framework for our analysis, we use the principles of ethnophysiography and the study of landscape terminology to present a culturally specific ontology for Kalaallisut. The categorization of landscape features is shaped by both the physical topography of the land and the cultural practices of engagement with the land, resulting in the primacy of shape, material, and function, particularly within the context of navigation.
ISSN:0020-7071
1545-7001
DOI:10.1086/700317