Scandal gripped the Sister Wives case last week with the statement released on this blog. In my statement responding to the decision to appeal the decision striking down the criminalization of cohabitation, I included the following line: “these are not Utahan rights but American rights.” I consciously used “Utahan” rather than “Utahn” as preferred by many in the state. This results in a couple news sites running the quote with a correction for a misspelling: Turley wrote. “Nevertheless, these are not Utahan (sic) rights but American rights. It will be an honor to defend this decision, and the rights of the Brown family, in Denver.” I stand by my decision in the use of Utahan as correct despite the disagreement from many of my Utahn friends.
Utahan is the spelling often given by the U.S.government while Utahn is treated as a local usage. I just do not see how one can place a consonant “n” after the consonant “h”. Nevertheless, I do not view Utahn as ungrammatical but a “local usage” as does Webster’s dictionary. Indeed, in a case that embraced pluralism and tolerance, I view it only fitting to welcome the use of both Utahan or Utahn, but I fail to see the basis for including sic (or sic erat scriptum, “thus was it written”) to indicate a grammatical mistake.
What do you think?
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As a long time resident in MA, I always preferred “New Englander”. However after moving to the Southwest I find that the local pronunciation is closer to “pinko commie pervert”.
Youse guys needs to stop this talk…. Come on….
Gene in any sense they call em couz…..
Does every US state name have a derivative likr that? Does anyone actually say Oklahoman or Mainer (or Mainite)? And what do you call people from Illinois? or Connecticut? or indeed Massachussetts?
BTW, had sme very nice local beer in Utah once, called Polygamy Porter. Slogan “Why stop at one?”
In Missouri they adopt a contraction that relegates them to the likes of the Saint Louis Zoo. Mizzou. Went in dumb, come out dumb too.
Oky, The diversity of the state geography is incredible. Only driven through St George. Like you, I had flown over Utah on biz and pleasure trips west. But when I started driving to San Diego every winter is when I discovered this state which I bet 90% of the country have never visited.
Nick, I’ve flown over it but never been on the ground there.
I think the spelling is St George, stay clear of that city as it’s a cancer cluster as I understand it.
In the age of the internet acronyms are the major tend thus: Utes/Okies/Arkies/Texican’ts, etc..
My $0.02 anyway
Oky, I love Utah. Maybe the most beautiful state. But, it’s real tough to get an adult beverage there. They got to get their minds right on that issue.
** 6. Utah
A “pretty, great” state. Home to most Mormons in the USA. Utah is usually mistaken for the most closeminded state (seriously, have you been to Wyoming or Oklahoma?) NOT a diverse state, mostly caucasion mormons (but they are nice). Most of Utah’s new generation is very open-minded and mostly Catholic. Utahns are usually happy, cheerful people who bring you batch after batch of brownies and cookies after you move in. Home of the ’02 Winter Olympics, The Used, Fry Sauce, Arcitic Circle, Ice Berg and “The greatest snow on Earth”.
If you are from Utah, you should have Utahn pride no matter what. **
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=utah
Utah[a]ns talk so funny it’s probably impossible to tell what they’re calling themselves.
I think of myself more as a Utalite, a Beehiver, a polygamon, its been fun here for the last 40 years of holier for profit competition. Great skiing too.
Touche’, Jim. LOL, Gene!
Alex: I cut myself shaving. Anyone have a styptic pencil?
[Rev. Jim pulls a styptic pencil from behind his ear, handing it to Alex.]
Rev. Jim: Here you go.
Alex: Jim, what are you doing with a styptic pencil behind your ear?
Rev. Jim: I think the better question is “What are you doing without one?”
Iggy was a great character. The scene where he was taking his written taxi license test is classic.
Reminds me of the famous floor debate of the Delaware legislature witnessed by Taxi character, Jim Ignatowski. What would it be? Delawarians or Delawarites?
The “ites” won.
I think of the words Hahn and Vaughn as examples of the n following the h. However, these are proper nouns, and possibly not of English derivation. So if you are using “Utahn” as a noun, then it looks okay, but if you are using it as an adjective then it seems weird and shakey. For example, “utahn soil” seems so wrong. I would use one of many work-arounds like “the people of Utah” or “Utah residents/citizens” depending on my intended meaning. In my opinion, this is more elegant than employing either moniker. When you use the local lingo, you align yourself and reveal bias just as when you use an imposed label that hasn’t been locally adopted. You have always been mindful of and strategic in revealing alliance through your writing and speech. It is the responsibility of a good editor to allow your meaning to come through your writing.
lol
Perfection, dbf.
Yes, I agree, someone took a hacksas that pronunciation.