Talk:Wha Ti, Northwest Territories
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In case, like me, you thought the translation "Excrement Lake" must be some kind of a joke, it does appear to be corroborated by this official-looking site (http://www.assembly.gov.nt.ca/VisitorInfo/NWTMapandHistory/WhaTi.html). Why would anybody choose to call their town such a thing? Maybe this is where "Excrement Creek" ends up. --GrahamN 23:14 Dec 15, 2002 (UTC)
Hey, Graham, as the guy that wrote the original article, all I can say is: "I don't make this shit up!" ;-) Danny
- An anomalous situation has arisen: [1] (http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/education/change_e.php#WhaTi), a Natural Resources Canada site, claims that Wha Ti means "Marten Lake" just as the original French did. - Montréalais 02:39, 19 Sep 2003 (UTC)
To get a definitive answer to this we need to see an Dogrib-English (or Dogrib-French) dictionary. According to this page (http://www.nativeculture.com/lisamitten/books0499.html) there is one published: TIICHO YATI ENIHT'E = DOGRIB DICTIONARY / compiled and edited by Jacob Feenstra in cooperation with the Dogrib Language Center. Preliminary edition. Rae0Edzo, NWT : Dogrib Divisional Board of Education, 1992. It seems unlikely that my local library in the south of England would be able to get hold of a copy, but maybe you could have a go, Montréalais? GrahamN 14:40, 20 Sep 2003 (UTC)
- I have checked with the NWT Place Name Database (http://pwnhc.learnnet.nt.ca/databases/geodb.htm), and I find that Wha Ti means "Marten Lake," same as the French. There is an alternative name, Tsoti, which means "fouled water lake," which may have led to the confusion. - Montréalais 01:18, 13 May 2004 (UTC)