tupilak

See also: Tupilak

English

carved representation of a monster

Alternative forms

• tupilaq

Etymology

From Greenlandic tupilak or Inuktitut ᑐᐱᓚᒃ (topilak), ᑐᐱᓚᖅ (topilaq).

Noun

tupilak (plural tupilaks or tupilat)

1. (Inuit mythology) A monster (either invisible or having a physical form constructed from animal bones, sinew, etc) created in secret by a shaman and sent into the sea to seek and kill a specific enemy.
2. A (small) representation of such a monster, often carved from whale bone.

See also

• Frankenstein

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Greenlandic tupilak.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [tˢupʰiˈlɑɡ̊], [tˢub̥iˈlɑɡ̊]

Noun

tupilak

1. tupilak (statuette)
2. tupilak (creature)

Declension

Declension of tupilak

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	tupilak	tupilakken	tupilakker	tupilakkerne
genitive	tupilaks	tupilakkens	tupilakkers	tupilakkernes

Greenlandic

Etymology

From Proto-Inuit *tupǝ-ɣi- (“be surprised at, demon”), from Proto-Eskimo *tupǝ-kǝ- (“be surprised, excited”). Compare tupigaa (“is surprised by him/her or it”), and tupigusuppoq (“is surprised”).

Pronunciation

• (Nuuk) IPA^(key): /tupilak/, [tʊ.pɪ.lək]

Noun

tupilak (plural tupilaat)

1. tupilak (statuette)
2. tupilak (creature)

Declension

Declension of tupilak

	singular	plural
absolutive	tupilak	tupilaat
ergative	tupilaap	tupilaat
allative	tupilammut	tupilannut
ablative	tupilammit	tupilannit
prosecutive	tupilakkut	tupilatsigut
locative	tupilammi	tupilanni
instrumental	tupilammik	tupilannik
equative	tupilattut	tupilattut

Descendants

• Danish: tupilak
• English: tupilak (possibly)

References

• tupilak in Katersat
• tupilak in Katersat