CHAT: Inuktitut (was: CHAT: Umberto Eco and Esperanto)

At 8:25 pm -0600 10/6/99, lkwalker wrote:
>i thought i'd step out now, and be a pedant....
>
>the language you mentioned back there (innuit) is called variously
>inuktitut, inuttitut, inuktitun, innuinaqtun, or kalaallisut (in greenland).
>The term 'inuit' is their name for themselves, meaning 'human being'. It's
>inuit in the plural (3 or more) and inuk in the singular. btw, inuktitut
>means 'to speak like an inuk'.
>
>just poking my nose in.....
I know how you feel - I tend to be just as pedantic about the use of
'Hittite' & 'Nesite'   :)

I think it is as well to get these terms right - more particularly so with
regard to a living language where the use of the ethnicon to denote the
language as well may be considered an insult by the speakers.  It at least
shows a lack of care.

Thanks for putting me right.

Ray.