Question for the Canadians

[Cadet]

Need some style help from north of the border.

I'll be covering some athletes who are native - Aboriginal, to be exact. What is the proper phrasing? Is Aboriginal ever lower case?

What is correct:
He is Aboriginal.
He is Aboriginie.
They are Aboriginals.
The Aboriginal athletes.
The athletes are all Aboriginie.

Thanks in advance.

 

[chazp]

Cadet, when you talk with a Canadian, you end every question with, Ay. It's basically used in place of the question mark north of the border.
Is Aboriginal ever lower case, Ay.

 

[ballscribe]

Not completely sure, but I'd say lower case as in, "aboriginal athlete". An Aboriginal.
Like "presidential address" and "the President".

Probably more respectful to actually be more specific, as in Cree or Ojibwa.

Like just grouping everyone under Latino or Asian, or European. Just more specific and respectful.

 

[T&C]

The first choice of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary is Aboriginal. Also checked the forms for the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships and Aboriginal is used. My old CP Stylebook doesn't mention the word, but suggests identifying a person by race only when it is truly pertinent. I agree it would be better to use Cree than the blanket Aboriginal if that type of information is available.

 

[DGRollins]

I work for a Canadian Aboriginal publication.

We use Aboriginal, upper case. Native is also Ok, also upper case.

Only Indian if an Aboriginal person refers to him or herself as such.

As stated, note the specific Tribe if possible.

As a note, most of the Native people I've encountered appreciate it when it is reported that an athlete is Aboriginal. It's sometimes not well known that the athlete has native heritage.

 

[Cadet]

Thanks, DG and everyone else.

What is the proper single-person phrasing?

He is Aboriginal?
He is an Aboriginal?
He is Canadian Aboriginal?
He is Aboriginal from Canada?

 

[Screwball]

chazp,

It's "eh," not "ay."

Hoser. ;D

 

[WSKY]

Cadet, when you talk with a Canadian, you end every question with, Ay. It's basically used in place of the question mark north of the border.
Is Aboriginal ever lower case, Ay.

Looks like I was beat, but it's eh, eh.

And where I come from — not Canada, but a state that is a bridge or tunnel away to the west — we use that all the time.. Point: Not only our friends to the north use it, but so do a huge chunk of Americans.

 

[Double J]

Cadet, when you talk with a Canadian, you end every question with, Ay. It's basically used in place of the question mark north of the border.
Is Aboriginal ever lower case, Ay.

Looks like I was beat, but it's eh, eh.

And where I come from — not Canada, but a state that is a bridge or tunnel away to the west — we use that all the time.. Point: Not only our friends to the north use it, but so do a huge chunk of Americans.

Huh?

 

[Double J]

Thanks, DG and everyone else.

What is the proper single-person phrasing?

He is Aboriginal?
He is an Aboriginal?
He is Canadian Aboriginal?
He is Aboriginal from Canada?

From a university style guide I found online that says it is based on the CP Stylebook (which I've looked for here at home but cannot find):

"Capitalize names of races and ethnic groups if they are derived from proper nouns such as languages, specific regions or nations, but not if they are derived from descriptive terms:

Mohawk, African, Indian, Caucasian, Asian, white, black, native, aboriginal."

 

[friend of the friendless]

Sirs, Madames,

I have a question:

Do Canadians really know anything about beer?

YHS, etc

 

[chazp]

chazp,

It's "eh," not "ay."

Hoser. ;D

I stand corrected. I visited Tornoto for a week once and I keep hearing it, I assumed the sound was a ay.

 

[WSKY]

Cadet, when you talk with a Canadian, you end every question with, Ay. It's basically used in place of the question mark north of the border.
Is Aboriginal ever lower case, Ay.

Looks like I was beat, but it's eh, eh.

And where I come from ? not Canada, but a state that is a bridge or tunnel away to the west ? we use that all the time.. Point: Not only our friends to the north use it, but so do a huge chunk of Americans.

Huh?

It was supposed to be confusing.

 

[Cansportschick]

Well, for the publication I work for, you need to specifically find out what type of peoples they are.
Are they aboriginal, mikmaq, cree? Also, you need to be careful that you are not classifying people into wrong categories. I was covering a human rights commission case here and one paper put down the woman was aboriginal, but her lawyer took exception and told the writer that she is mikmaq and that is how she should be referred as...I did not even know something like that could cause an issue.

On another note, chazp, if you come to the Maritimes and say "Ay", you will have a herd of beer drinking burly people from NFLD and Nova Scotia dunk you in a huge beer keg. I would say that around George Street in NFLD or in the downtown core of Halifax. If you say "eh" though, you will get intiated as an official newfie on George Street and Haligonians will offer to buy you a beer. ;D

 

[Double J]

Cadet, when you talk with a Canadian, you end every question with, Ay. It's basically used in place of the question mark north of the border.
Is Aboriginal ever lower case, Ay.

Looks like I was beat, but it's eh, eh.

And where I come from ? not Canada, but a state that is a bridge or tunnel away to the west ? we use that all the time.. Point: Not only our friends to the north use it, but so do a huge chunk of Americans.

Huh?

It was supposed to be confusing.

It was a joke - you pointed out all the people on both sides of the border who say "eh" so I thought I'd throw in a "huh" just to be different.

Okay, eh?

 

[Flash]

Two points ...

1. CP style dictates you use the word 'native,' not 'aboriginal.' Out west, we often refer to natives as 'First Nations.'

2. No Newfie worth his salt says 'eh.' He ends his sentences with 'right' (pronounced roight) or a term of endearment for the person to whom he is speaking, i.e. 'buddy,' 'ma luv,' or 'me ducky.'

 

[Cansportschick]

Two points ...

1. CP style dictates you use the word 'native,' not 'aboriginal.' Out west, we often refer to natives as 'First Nations.'

2. No Newfie worth his salt says 'eh.' He ends his sentences with 'right' (pronounced roight) or a term of endearment for the person to whom he is speaking, i.e. 'buddy,' 'ma luv,' or 'me ducky.'

Flash, Newfie do say "eh". I know quite a lot of them and they do say it. I have heard some say me ducky, but some non Newfies that I know use that term too. Obviously, you and I don't know the same Newfies.

 

[Flash]

Two points ...

1. CP style dictates you use the word 'native,' not 'aboriginal.' Out west, we often refer to natives as 'First Nations.'

2. No Newfie worth his salt says 'eh.' He ends his sentences with 'right' (pronounced roight) or a term of endearment for the person to whom he is speaking, i.e. 'buddy,' 'ma luv,' or 'me ducky.'

Obviously, considering I lived there.

Flash, Newfie do say "eh". I know quite a lot of them and they do say it. I have heard some say me ducky, but some non Newfies that I know use that term too. Obviously, you and I don't know the same Newfies.

 

[Cansportschick]

Maybe the newfies I know are more modernized with the times or something, bizarre ;D

 

[Screwball]

Me ducky?