Greenlandic is polysynthetic language, which means one word in Greenlandic is about the same as a whole sentence in English and similar languages. There are different dialects of the language and there is a significant difference between the Eastern and Western dialects. Kalaallisut (AKA Greenlandic) is the predominant dialect and is what the Harry Potter book was translated into. Greenlandic, also known as Kalaallisut, is an Eskimo-Aleut language primarily spoken in Greenland. Its history dates back to the settlement of Greenland by the Inuit peoples, who arrived from North America around 4,500 years ago. The language developed as a part of the Inuit linguistic family, influenced by the movement of various Inuit groups and their interactions with neighboring cultures. Greenlandic was historically spoken in a variety of dialects across the island, but over time, Kalaallisut became the dominant dialect, especially in the western part of Greenland.

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In the 18th century, with the establishment of Danish colonial rule over Greenland, the Danish language began to exert influence on Greenlandic. Danish became the language of government and education, but Greenlandic remained the primary language of the majority of the population. In the 20th century, there was a revival of Greenlandic identity and culture, leading to efforts to standardize the language. In 2009, Greenland gained greater autonomy from Denmark, and the government declared Greenlandic the official language of the island, further emphasizing its role in preserving cultural heritage and national identity.​​​