Pasifik, entered into Google Search yeilds one point two million hits, so it must have something going for it.

I hope my exchange of messages with the Editor of Hawaii Island Journal is self explanatory. Wordcrafters' comments, both here and to the Editor, are invited.

QUOTE

From: Gerald Thomas <jerryt@interpac.net>
Subject: spelling

Dear Editor

In your May 6-19 issue, page 16, the name of this ocean that surrounds us is spelled "Pasifik."

Why?

How do you spell "Atlantic?"

Curious.

~~~~ Jerry Thomas
12-447 Laau Loke Street
Kehena
Pahoa,HI 96778-8001
(808) 965-7199 (Due to severe hearing handicap I don't use the telephone -- e-mail and postal mail only. Thanks)

UNQUOTE

The Editor's reply is hand written on a hard copy of our respective e-mail messages. As follows:

QUOTE

Aloha Jerry.
Sorry for the delayed response. My e-mail to you bounced back. Pls see here for answer to your query.
Mahalo,
/s/Peter Serafin

[e-mail]

Original Message
Subject: Spelling
Date: 24 May 2006 (08:58.43 -1000)
From: Peter Serafin <editor@hawaiiislandjournal.com>
To: Gerald Thomas <jerryt@interpac.net>
References: ...

Aloha Jerry,

"Pacific" means the body of water only.

In recent decades the Polynesians throughout the South Pacific have begun to adapt the "Pasifik" spelling to reflect a broader use of the term -- the world view of an [sic] people that calls for a far-flung set of islands in their "home territory."

Because of the content of this story, we decided to honor this new and not-yet-established convention. Perhaps someday the term "Pasifik Culture" will someday replace "Pacific Island Culture" in everyday use (although I don't think we're at that point now ).

Americans have the same dual (Pacific / Pasifik) usage as well -- though we don't use alternate spellings to do it.

Think about "land" in the Midwest. Is it the merely piece of ground -- or is it the bounty implied in fertile farmland?

Or "Manhattan." Is it it the island in New York City surrounded by the Hudson and East Rivers -- or does it imply the artistic and financial center of the United States?

In both examples the answer is -- it can mean either, or both, depending on the context. Maybe having two different words allows one to be more precise.

Mahalo, [note: this word means thank you in Hawaiian language]

Peter Serafin
Editor
Hawaii Island Journal


UNQUOTE

I'm sending a copy of this to Mr. Serafin so he can see that his work is being scrutinized by word crafters all over the world.

Maybe in the future he will give us his alternate spellings of "land" and "Manhattan."

By the way, we've noticed that "Pasifik" is the correct spelling of the name for that body of water in Turkish, Indonesian, and possibly Malaysian languages.

~~ jerry

I'm not as bothered by the spelling Pasifik as I am by the dropped letter (the `okina) in the placename Hawai`i. The Hawai`ian language has few enough phonemes as it is without banishing this important consonant.

If we drop the glottal stop when writing but still use it when speaking, do we get half credit, Coach ?

If we drop the glottal stop when writing but still use it when speaking, do we get half credit, Coach?

Yeah, sure, why not. But very few pronounce Hawaii /havajʔi/. YMMV. You did send me sideways crablike to my Hawaiian-English-English-Hawaiian Dictionary to look up Pacifica Ocean: Moana Pākīpika. (Obviously a loan from English: the Pākīpika part that is, not moana.)

In other words, sounds like the editor (and writers) of that paper are trying to be the hip, cool trendsetters of language. Do they also use the term "womyn"?

womyn

Shouldn't that be wymmyn?

quote: In recent decades the Polynesians throughout the South Pacific have begun to adapt the "Pasifik" spelling to reflect a broader use of the term -- the world view of an [sic] people that calls for a far-flung set of islands in their "home territory."

I'd be interested in knowing when and where that started and how widespread it is.

It's not common enough to have been picked up by OED, which very recently updated this part of the alphabet.

Pasifik, entered into Google Search yields one point two million hits, so it must have something going for it.

You've noted that the spelling is standard in certain non-english tongues. When I limit the google search to "English only" the total drops to 65,800 ghits -- and a good chunk of these are in a company name.

quote:

Shouldn't that be wymmyn?

Oh - maybe that's it. I don't subscribe to the thought that we need a new label just to keep from having "men" in ours. Piffle.

When I was dating, I thought woman was perfect...whoa-man!