From: Translation Bureau
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Inuk, Inuit (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau)
On this page A note about the recommendation “Inuk” and “Inuit” used as nouns “Inuk” and “Inuit” used as adjectives Additional information A note about the recommendation The Translation Bureau recommends using the terms Inuk and Inuit both as nouns and as adjectives in English. Inuit can be used adjectivally in all contexts. However, Inuk can be used only to modify one person, in keeping with its sense in Inuktitut, the language from which it is borrowed. “Inuk” and “Inuit” used as nouns A concern for reconciliation and inclusivity requires that, when referring to Indigenous persons, we use the terms preferred by the community. Thus, we refer to the traditional inhabitants of Canada’s northern regions and Arctic coastline by the terms Inuk and Inuit. Inuk is the singular noun, used to refer to one person, regardless of gender. It is always capitalized and can be preceded by a definite or indefinite article: He is the first Inuk to have been called to the Nunavut Bar. She is an Inuk from Kuujjuaq in northeastern Quebec. Inuit is the plural noun. It is always capitalized. Because the word Inuit is already plural in form in Inuktitut, it is used in English without the English plural ending “s”: Correct: Inuit are working to preserve their language. Incorrect: Inuits are working to preserve their language. Since Inuit means "the people" in Inuktitut, do not use the definite article “the” or the word “people” in combination with Inuit: Correct: Inuit use traditional hunting methods. Incorrect: The Inuit use traditional hunting methods. Incorrect: The Inuit people use traditional hunting methods. Note: In addition to singular and plural forms, Inuktitut has a dual form used to refer to two people: Inuuk. Although Inuuk is used less frequently in English, it is still accepted. “Inuk” and “Inuit” used as adjectives Either Inuk or Inuit can be used as an adjective to describe a person. These terms are always capitalized: The Inuk Elder was honoured for contributions to the community. This award-winning Inuit designer combines fashion and tradition. But the adjective Inuk can be used only to describe one person, never two or more. With plural nouns referring to human beings, the adjective that’s used is Inuit: The non-profit organization is the voice of Inuit women in Canada. The website showcases original art created by Inuit artists. In addition, Inuk is never used to modify anything non-human. The adjective used to describe one or more places, things, qualities or ideas is Inuit: This Inuit hamlet is a cultural hub in summer. Traditional Inuit garments were made from animal skins and fur. Inuit hospitality is legendary. In the Inuit concept of health, the mind, body, spirit and environment are interconnected. Additional information Update on the words “Inuk” and “Inuit” (blog post) Inuit, inuk (Recommandation linguistique du Bureau de la traduction) (in French only)Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 10,306
Update on the words “Inuk” and “Inuit”
An English blog post on the use of the words “Inuit” and “Inuk.”In 2009, the Translation Bureau issued a recommendation on the use of the terms “Inuk” and “Inuit.” The Bureau has now published a new recommendation that reflects the current usage in 2023. Background In 2009, the Translation Bureau recommended that the term “Inuit” be used in English as a plural noun and as an adjective, and that the term “Inuk” be used only as a singular noun. However, the use of these terms in English has evolved with the passage of time, and the Translation Bureau has therefore revised its recommendation to keep abreast of modern usage. Recommendation The Translation Bureau continues to recommend the use of “Inuit” as a plural noun and the use of “Inuk” as a singular noun in reference to persons, in keeping with the meaning of these terms in Inuktitut. It’s now acceptable to use “Inuk” as an adjective also. But there’s an important caveat: “Inuk” can be used only to modify a person, never an object. And it must be used with a singular noun, not a plural one: An Inuk singer won the Indigenous Music Award for best album. With plural nouns designating people, and with all other nouns, whether singular or plural, the adjective to use is “Inuit”: A group of Inuit drummers is performing at the music festival. The children were captivated by the storyteller’s account of the Inuit legend. “Inuit” can also be used in place of “Inuk” with singular nouns designating people: The Inuit sculptor works in soapstone. For more specific information, consult the Translation Bureau’s Linguistic Recommendation on “Inuk” and “Inuit (opens in new tab).” Meaning in Inuktitut It’s important to note that in Inuktitut, the noun “Inuit” is plural in form and refers to several persons. Therefore, it remains invariable in English, and an “s” should not be added to the end of the word to pluralize it. In addition, because “Inuit” means “the people,” it would be redundant to say “the Inuit people” in English. “Inuit” is used alone as the plural noun: Preserving cultural traditions is of great importance to Inuit. (not “to Inuit people” or “to the Inuit people”) Certain terms relating to Indigenous realities, including the terms “Inuk” and “Inuit,” are addressed in the Guide on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Terminology (opens in new tab), which a large number of federal departments and agencies contributed to. It’s important that Indigenous realities be taken into consideration in any discussion about equity, diversity and inclusion, which, like reconciliation, are priorities for the Government of Canada. The Translation Bureau’s recommendation in regard to the use of “Inuk” and “Inuit” as nouns corresponds to the information provided in the Guide, which underwent extensive discussion and consultation. As you can see, the terms “Inuk” and “Inuit” are perhaps a little more complex than you might originally have thought. But with the explanations and examples given here and in our recommendation, you’ll have no trouble mastering their correct use.Source: Our Languages blog (posts from our contributors)
Number of views: 4,545
The evolution of gender in the English language
A blog post about the history of gender in the English language.The gender of words is such a simple, yet complex, concept. Grammatically, gender is merely a way of classifying the words in a lexicon. Socially, gender is the way societies use language to structure the world.Note 1 Nowadays, there’s a lot of talk about gender in the context of inclusive writing. In this post, however, we’ll talk about the evolution of gender in the English language and what remains of the systems of past centuries. Old English: The 5th to 11th centuries The evolution of the English language is marked by three main periods: the Old English (or Anglo Saxon) period, the Middle English period and the Modern English period. Modern English no longer bears any resemblance whatsoever to Old English, so much so that, today, you can’t even read Old English without having studied it. Spoken and written from the 5th century until the Norman Conquest, Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) was brought to England by the Germanic and Scandinavian tribes who settled there. It has its own vocabulary, its own grammar and even its own alphabet (which is called futhorc). With its Germanic roots, Old English borrows from Latin, Old French and Old Norse. Like Latin and Modern German, Old English is what we call an inflected language. Its grammar is based on a system of five main cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative and instrumental), three genders (masculine, feminine and neuter) and two numbers (singular and plural).Note 2 Unlike nouns in Modern English, nouns in Old English are gendered, that is, masculine nouns are feminized. For example, the word bæcere (baker) is written bæcestre in the feminine form. In Old English, adjectives and pronouns agree with the subject in gender and number. Gender in Old English is grammatical: nouns that designate living organisms correspond to the biological sex of the organism they refer to, whereas with nouns that designate inanimate objects, gender is assigned more arbitrarily and unrelated to the meaning of the noun. Middle English: The 11th to 15th centuries When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, Anglo-Norman (a variant of Old French) became the language of high society, while English was relegated to the lower classes. All the transformations that English society underwent following the Norman Conquest influenced the language. Old English gradually transformed and gave way to Middle English (spoken from 1150 to 1500). At that time, under various influences, the English language lost its system of inflections and gender assignment: feminine forms disappeared, as did grammatical gender. English started becoming simpler and more like Modern English. In fact, you can read the original Middle English version of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (one of the best-known literary works of that time) and understand its overall meaning. Modern English: The 15th century to present In Modern English, only the pronouns he, she and it, as well as suffixes like -man, -woman and -ess mark gender.Note 3 However, some nouns designating inanimate objects are always assigned a gender. Have you ever wondered why we use she when talking about a ship? A ship has no biological sex, but it has been assigned a feminine identity for centuries. Why is a ship a she? A number of theories have been put forward to explain why certain nouns designating inanimate objects still have a gender marker. It’s interesting to note that, in many cases, these nouns take the feminine gender, rather than the masculine: the well-known ship, Earth, countries and nature, to name a few.Note 4 In the case of ship, some believe it may have taken on a feminine gender under the influence of the Latin word navis, a feminine noun meaning “ship.” However, since the Old English word scip (neuter, not feminine, gender) was borrowed from the Germanic languages to designate the boats we call ships today, this theory doesn’t seem to hold water. Symbolism and tradition may also explain the phenomenon. In the history of many cultures, ships were dedicated to goddesses or mythical female figures who were said to protect and guide sailors on their voyages. These maritime deities were considered the guardians of the seas, and designating ships as female would have been a way of invoking their protection. The use of the pronoun she to designate ships isn’t universally accepted. Some people, who consider the use of the pronoun she to be sexist, would prefer that the pronoun it be used to designate ships. As language continues to evolve and degender, it will be interesting to see if the practice of using the pronoun it for words like ship becomes more established. One thing is certain: language will continue to evolve with the societies that use it, and the English we speak 1500 years from now may not bear any resemblance to the English we speak today. What do you think English will be like centuries from now? Sources Note 1 Guenfoud, Razika. (2020–2021). Genre grammatical : étude morphosyntaxique (PDF). [Doctoral thesis, University of Biskra]. University of Biskra Theses Repository. Return to note 1 referrer Note 2 Langster. (n.d.). A Brief History of the English Language: From Old English to Modern Days. Return to note 2 referrer Note 3 Curzan, Anne. (2003). Gender Shifts in the History of English. Cambridge University Press. Return to note 3 referrer Note 4 Whorf, Benjamin Lee. (1956). Language, Thought, and Reality. MIT Press. Return to note 4 referrerSource: Our Languages blog (posts from our contributors)
Number of views: 2,610