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There is a place near Shishmaref in Western Alaska called West Nantuq, but I don't know what the word means (and of course it's not Canada). Both nan and tuq are common Inupiaq word elements, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's also a word in Canadian Inupiaq. The q is pronounced like a k, but in the back of the throat, like a hard glottal stop. It doesn't exist as an English phoneme.

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All that said, my guess is that Jim Carrey simply mispronounced (possibly on purpose) Nanook (nanuq), which is one of the most commonly known Inupiaq words that's entered into English. Nanook of the North is a 1922 film by Robert Flaherty, and Nanook is the main character's name...it would make sense for Carrey to parody that.

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~ Caitlín

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This message was edited 11/24/2007, 9:55 AM