Microsoft honoured for Inuit language software
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 | 3:35 PM CT
CBC News
The Nunavut government has recognized Microsoft Canada for its work in developing Inuktitut-language software.
As a result of the software giant's work, Windows computer users can freely download versions of Windows XP and Vista, along with Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007, in the Inuit language.
The Inuktitut versions of Vista and Office 2007 were launched last spring.
Since 2004, Microsoft has been working with the territorial government and the Pirurvik Centre for Inuit Language, Culture and Wellbeing on creating Inuktitut language software packages.
More than one million words have been programmed in Inuktitut through the collaboration, about 5,000 of which are new Inuktitut words.
The project is part of the Nunavut government's broader goal of making Inuktitut a working language in offices, schools and homes in the predominantly Inuit territory.
In a release, Nunavut Languages Minister Louis Tapardjuk said the collaboration is a "great example of the government and the private sector working successfully together" to make the Inuit language the territory's working language.
About 84 per cent of people in Nunavut identify themselves as Inuit, according to the 2006 census. About 91 per cent of that population can converse in Inuktitut, while 83 per cent of Inuit say Inuktitut is their mother tongue.
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