Greenland Languages

Greenland Wiki Topics

Greenland Beginning Research

Getting Started Record Finder Research Strategies

Record Types

Cemeteries Census Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Compiled Genealogies Military Records Online Genealogy Records Religious Records Websites

Greenland Background

Gazetteers Historical Geography History Jurisdictions Languages Maps Periodicals Social Life & Customs

Greenland Genealogical Word Lists

Danish

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

Greenland

Languages

Description

Greenlandic became the sole official language in June 2009.

• West Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) - A majority of the population speaks West Greenlandic, most of them bi- or tri-lingually.
• East Greenlandic (Tunumiit oraasiat) - spoken in eastern Greenland
• Danish language - still widely used in the administration and in higher education, as well as remaining the first or only language for some Danish immigrants
• English - another important language for Greenland, taught in schools from the first school year.

Word List(s)

• Danish Genealogical Word List
• Greenlandic Phrase List - WikiVoyage
• Greenlandic Vocabulary - Learn101
• Greenlandic Vocabulary - ILanguages.org
• 1,000 Most Common Danish Words - 101Languages

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Alphabet

• Greenlandic Vowels and Consonants - Wikipedia
• Greenlandic alphabet - Omniglot
• Greenlandic Alphabet - Learn101
• Danish alphabet - Omniglot

Pronunciation

• Greenlandic pronunciation - Omniglot
• Danish pronunciation - Omniglot

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Dictionaries

• Schultz-Lorentzen, Christian Wilhelm. Dictionary of the west Greenland Eskimo language. København: C.A. Reitzel, 1927. Available at: WorldCat.
• Holmen, Marianne. Danish-English, English-Danish Dictionary. n.p.: Hippocrene Books, 1990. Available at: GoogleBooks.
• Garde, Anna and W Glyn Jones. Danish dictionary : English-Danish, Danish-English. London: Routledge, 2015. Available at: WorldCat.

Online Dictionaries

• Greenlandic to English Dictionary
• Dictionary English - Kalaallisut - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Danish - Glosbe

Language Aids

• Kahn, Lily and Riitta-Liisa Valijärvi. West Greenlandic : an essential grammar. London: Routledge, 2021. Available at: WorldCat.
• Schultz-Lorentzen, C W. A grammar of the West Greenland language. København, C.A.: Reitzel, 1945. Available at: WorldCat.
• Sadock, Jerrold M.. A Grammar of Kalaallisut. n.p.: Lincom, 2003. Available at: GoogleBooks.
• Greenlandic Grammar - Wikipedia
• Danish grammar - MemRise

Additional Resources

• King, David C. Greenland. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009. Available at: WorldCat.
• Greenlandic language - Wikipedia
• People of Greenland - Britannica