What a Difference a Vowel Makes!

[The Bread Guy]

Oopsie....

A bumble by the Prime Minister's Office has residents of Nunavut alternately chuckling and cringing.

A news release sent out Monday outlined Prime Minister Stephen Harper's itinerary as he began a five-day Arctic tour.

The release repeatedly spelled the capital of Nunavut as Iqualuit - rather than Iqaluit, which means "many fish" in the Inuktitut language.

The extra "u" makes a world of difference.

"It means people with unwiped bums," said Sandra Inutiq of the office of the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut.

"It's not exactly a nice term."

Inutiq said people who speak Inuktitut are sometimes offended or even angered when non-northerners incorrectly spell the name of their capital.

The Prime Minister's Office was apologetic, calling the gaffe a human error that might actually teach Canadians an important lesson about spelling mistakes.

"Hopefully this unfortunate typo, which we have corrected, will inform the greater public that there is no (extra) 'u' in Iqaluit," said Harper spokesman Dimitri Soudas.

"We obviously strive to have the highest possible standard in terms of spelling and grammar... When typos do occur, and we notice them, we either issue a revised advisory or immediately correct it."

He pointed out that at least one story from The Canadian Press, published on Dec. 8, misspelled Iqaluit with an extra "u." ....

 

[Yrys]

Anyone know where to find an audio link to the 2 words ?

I see the difference in spelling, but I wonder what difference
it does in prononciation.... I'm not sure my hears would notice
a difference in Inuktitut...

 

[GAP]

I had lots of fun when up north I had to translate all signs in the hospital so they read English, Cree and Inuktitut. The Inuktitut for Laboratory translates directly into "place where they take the blood"....other little gems that I ended up producing were strictly from my incompetence....  ;D

 

[FishOuttaWater]

This should be a JOTD. 

"people with un-wiped bums"... hahaha  ;D

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Everyone I know calls it ICK-AL-OO-IT.  The only Eskimo I heard pronounce it called it ICK-A-LOOT but she called herself an Eskimo so what does she know.

 

[Yrys]

I had lots of fun when up north I had to translate all signs in the hospital so they read English, Cree and Inuktitut.

I've seen Inuktitut.

Does Cree use another alphabet (then the English) ?

 

[GAP]

I've seen Inuktitut.

Does Cree use another alphabet (then the English) ?

Inuktitut was sybolic, but Cree was translated using English lettering, although I gather there is a sybolic version for it also, but I have never seen it....it was all done through translators

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Inuktitut was sybolic, but Cree was translated using English lettering, although I gather there is a sybolic version for it also, but I have never seen it....it was all done through translators

http://www.nisto.com/cree/syllabic/

 

[GAP]

http://www.nisto.com/cree/syllabic/

Hmmmm.....a lot of symbols are similar to Inuktitut

 

[Yrys]

http://www.nisto.com/cree/syllabic/

Thanks for the link