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| | If the plural of [[Inuit]] is [[Inuit]] then what is [[Inuits]]? Non standard or misspelling? Something else? [[User:RJFJR|RJFJR]] 02:43, 15 November 2008 (UTC) | | If the plural of [[Inuit]] is [[Inuit]] then what is [[Inuits]]? Non standard or misspelling? Something else? [[User:RJFJR|RJFJR]] 02:43, 15 November 2008 (UTC) |
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| | :Nonstandard, I would say. Someone who types "Inuits" (probably) isn't just hitting the "s" key by mistake, but actually considers that to be the plural. -- [[User:Visviva|Visviva]] 06:37, 15 November 2008 (UTC) | | :Nonstandard, I would say. Someone who types "Inuits" (probably) isn't just hitting the "s" key by mistake, but actually considers that to be the plural. -- [[User:Visviva|Visviva]] 06:37, 15 November 2008 (UTC) |
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| − | Note that it can also refer to languages or dialects: "the Inuits spoken in the western Arctic sound closer to the nearby [[Inupiak]] dialects." | + | :Note that it can also refer to languages or dialects: "the Inuits spoken in the western Arctic sound closer to the nearby [[Inupiak]] dialects." |
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| − | The CanOD lists ''Inuit'' as "noun (pl. same)", and lacks ''Inuits''. NOAD says "pl. same or ''-its''", but also has a long note saying that Inuit people don't live in Alaska, and the use of the word in the USA is "usually in an attempt to be politically correct, as a general synonym for ''Eskimo''". Dictionary.com lists both plural forms, with ''Inuit'' preferred for people (as opposed to the language). American Heritage and Merriam-Webster list both forms. ''—[[User:Mzajac |Michael]] [[User talk:Mzajac |Z.]] <small>2008-11-15 20:33 z</small>'' | |
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| − | Say, what?! The language, AFAIK, is called {{term|Inuktitut}}, and {{term|Inuit}} is a plural noun referring to the people as a whole. Though uncommon in English, a single Inuit person is called an {{term|Inuk}} and a specific number of Inuit people — let's say six — are called "six Inuit". <b><font style="color:darkred">†</font></b> [[﴾]]<sup>(<i>u</i>):</sup>[[User:Doremítzwr|Raifʻhār]] <sup>(<i>t</i>):</sup>[[User talk:Doremítzwr|Doremítzwr]][[﴿]] 21:14, 16 November 2008 (UTC) | |
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| − | : Yes, that appears to be the correct Canadian usage. And it follows that the mass noun ''Inuit'' can also be used attributively, so: the Inuit, Inuit peoples, Inuit persons, an Inuit man, an Inuit. | |
| − | :: <small>The last example in your list is surely a count noun, not an attributive use of a mass noun… <b><font style="color:darkred">†</font></b> [[﴾]]<sup>(<i>u</i>):</sup>[[User:Doremítzwr|Raifʻhār]] <sup>(<i>t</i>):</sup>[[User talk:Doremítzwr|Doremítzwr]][[﴿]] 17:06, 17 November 2008 (UTC)</small> | |
| − | : But according to the non-Canadian dictionary sources, that's not the only usage. Per every one of NOAD, Dictionary.com, AH, and M–W, the family of languages is also called Inuit, and a member of these peoples is an Inuit. ''—[[User:Mzajac |Michael]] [[User talk:Mzajac |Z.]] <small>2008-11-17 05:21 z</small>'' | |
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| − | :: Alas! I can well believe that the Canadian (''i.e.'', correct) usage is not the only one. I think we can safely label the "an Inuit" and "many Inuits" uses in reference to people as non-standard. What about the uses referring to the different languages? Would it be more correct to say *{{term||Inuktituts}}? ({{term|Inuktitut}} looks plural to me; I know almost nothing about the grammar of Inuktitut, but I'm guessing that nouns with {{term|-k}} or {{term|-q}} endings are singular, whereas those with {{term|-t}} endings are plural. Then again, the [[Inuktitut#Etymology|etymology section]] of {{term||Inuktitut}} seems to say that in Inuktitut, {{term||Inuktitut}} is an adjective meaning "like the Inuit", or something like that…) Thoughts? <b><font style="color:darkred">†</font></b> [[﴾]]<sup>(<i>u</i>):</sup>[[User:Doremítzwr|Raifʻhār]] <sup>(<i>t</i>):</sup>[[User talk:Doremítzwr|Doremítzwr]][[﴿]] 17:06, 17 November 2008 (UTC) | + | :The CanOD lists ''Inuit'' as "noun (pl. same)", and lacks ''Inuits''. NOAD says "pl. same or ''-its''", but also has a long note saying that Inuit people don't live in Alaska, and the use of the word in the USA is "usually in an attempt to be politically correct, as a general synonym for ''Eskimo''". Dictionary.com lists both plural forms, with ''Inuit'' preferred for people (as opposed to the language). American Heritage and Merriam-Webster list both forms. ''—[[User:Mzajac |Michael]] [[User talk:Mzajac |Z.]] <small>2008-11-15 20:33 z</small>'' |
| | + | ::Say, what?! The language, AFAIK, is called {{term|Inuktitut}}, and {{term|Inuit}} is a plural noun referring to the people as a whole. Though uncommon in English, a single Inuit person is called an {{term|Inuk}} and a specific number of Inuit people — let's say six — are called "six Inuit". <b><font style="color:darkred">†</font></b> [[﴾]]<sup>(<i>u</i>):</sup>[[User:Doremítzwr|Raifʻhār]] <sup>(<i>t</i>):</sup>[[User talk:Doremítzwr|Doremítzwr]][[﴿]] 21:14, 16 November 2008 (UTC) |
| | + | :::Yes, that appears to be the correct Canadian usage. And it follows that the mass noun ''Inuit'' can also be used attributively, so: the Inuit, Inuit peoples, Inuit persons, an Inuit man, an Inuit. |
| | + | ::::<small>The last example in your list is surely a count noun, not an attributive use of a mass noun… <b><font style="color:darkred">†</font></b> [[﴾]]<sup>(<i>u</i>):</sup>[[User:Doremítzwr|Raifʻhār]] <sup>(<i>t</i>):</sup>[[User talk:Doremítzwr|Doremítzwr]][[﴿]] 17:06, 17 November 2008 (UTC)</small> |
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| − | ---- | + | ::::But according to the non-Canadian dictionary sources, that's not the only usage. Per every one of NOAD, Dictionary.com, AH, and M–W, the family of languages is also called Inuit, and a member of these peoples is an Inuit. ''—[[User:Mzajac |Michael]] [[User talk:Mzajac |Z.]] <small>2008-11-17 05:21 z</small>'' |
| | + | :::::Alas! I can well believe that the Canadian (''i.e.'', correct) usage is not the only one. I think we can safely label the "an Inuit" and "many Inuits" uses in reference to people as non-standard. What about the uses referring to the different languages? Would it be more correct to say *{{term||Inuktituts}}? ({{term|Inuktitut}} looks plural to me; I know almost nothing about the grammar of Inuktitut, but I'm guessing that nouns with {{term|-k}} or {{term|-q}} endings are singular, whereas those with {{term|-t}} endings are plural. Then again, the [[Inuktitut#Etymology|etymology section]] of {{term||Inuktitut}} seems to say that in Inuktitut, {{term||Inuktitut}} is an adjective meaning "like the Inuit", or something like that…) Thoughts? <b><font style="color:darkred">†</font></b> [[﴾]]<sup>(<i>u</i>):</sup>[[User:Doremítzwr|Raifʻhār]] <sup>(<i>t</i>):</sup>[[User talk:Doremítzwr|Doremítzwr]][[﴿]] 17:06, 17 November 2008 (UTC) |
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| | == Plural of Inuk == | | == Plural of Inuk == |
