Talk:Inukshuk

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the debate was no consensus. —Nightstallion (?) 11:16, 23 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Requested move

• Inukshuk → Inuksuk … Rationale: There is no 'h' sound in the Inuktitut language. "Inukshuk" is a common typo. This article in other language as well as on the wikimedia commons all use "inuksuk". … Please share your opinion at Talk:Inukshuk. -- Sy / ^(talk) 00:09, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Survey

Add *Support or *Oppose followed by an optional one-sentence explanation, then sign your opinion with ~~~~

• Support -- All other language links and the wikimedia commons use "Inuksuk". -- Sy / ^(talk) 00:09, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
• Oppose, this is how it is spelled in English. Adam Bishop 02:34, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
• Support. There is not an "English" spelling, as it is a non-English word. There are just interpretations of the word into our alphabet, Inuksuk being the one that's actually pronounced correct. -- Consumed Crustacean | Talk | 22:23, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
• Oppose the common English spelling is "Inukshuk" and it is a borrowed word into English, and appears in Canadian English. 132.205.94.75 01:53, 18 May 2006 (UTC)
• Opposed The word, at this time, is part of the English language, even if the spelling was borrowed incorrectly. Even the Government of Nunavut, who have the most to gain by using the correct spelling, list it indirectly as an English word. I do suspect that over a period of time the word inuksuk will gain the upper hand, but right now it is only one of at least three different spellings. To move this would also suggest that igloo be moved to iglu as the second is the correct Inuinnaqtun/Inuktitut spelling. This also applies to kayak being moved to kajaq, saqqit or qajavialuk depending on which dialect you wish to use. All of the terms can be searched through the Government supported Asuilaak Living Dictionary CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 09:14, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Discussion

Add any additional comments

Well it seems the Government of Nunavut supports at least three spellings of it. I was surprised to find that Inukshuk was listed at Asuilaak Living Dictionary but that inuksuk is listed as a North Baffin (Tununiq Dialect) dialect. So it would appear that according to the dictionary inukshuk is the English version and inukhuk is the Inuinnaqtun version. It is of course possible that there may be other versions of the speeling based on other dialects. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 00:58, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

There's no H sound in this word in English either. What is your point? Adam Bishop 02:34, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

Um. "Englishh". There's no "shh" sound in Inuktitut. Inukshhuk isn't the proper pronunciation, so it seems weird to use it as the spelling. -- Sy / ^(talk) 03:49, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

Yes yes, I was just being pedantic, "sh" is just the spelling, there is no actual "h" sound. Adam Bishop 04:16, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

Here's a widely seen thing showing Canadian English usage of inukshuk :

• http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=Vancouver+2010+inukshuk&btnG=Search&meta=
• http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/LookVancouver2010/Vancouver2010Emblems

Note that the inukshuk is the official symbol of the 2010 Winter Olympics and is spelt with an h. The corresponding google search without an h results in a handful of hits [1]. 132.205.45.110 03:04, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

The item used on the Vancouver logo is an inunguak not an inukhut, which is why I changed the picture. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 09:14, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

The point I was trying to make, is that Canadians have long used the word and term Inukshuk, as opposed to its appropriate spelling and pronounciation, Inuksuk. I have a problem with the argument that because it is widely found on the internet as being spelled Inukshuk, it must be right. The only ones that can be truly right, are those that speak the language. INUIT. If an Inuk tells you it is spelled InukSUK, then it is right. It is our language. I am hoping that by adding these changes to the Wikipedia encyclopedia we can then teach others the difference. Our language is important to us and using it properly in the media is also important. Also, it is embarrassing that the use of the symbol for the Vancouver Olympics is being so widely broadcasted as an Inukshuk. Its a blatant example of ignorance of minority cultures in Canada. And you'll notice, in the actual Wikipedia Article, I have gone through it and provided all proper spellings, and that my proposal is to change it to Inuksuk, not because there is no 'h' sound, but because there is no letter or symbol representing the 'h' as would be found in english. I pointed out that there is no 'shhh' sound, as in other dialects there is an 'h' sound used. If further clarification is needed, I can offer up some information provided by Inuktitut Linguists, those that have studied the evolution of the language and the intricacies of each syllable and how it is used to portray a SPECIFIC meaning. Tuurnaq1281

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.