Talk:Utahan

Official Utah government documents and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) always use Utahn, and NEVER use Utahan. Growing up in Utah I never heard it pronounced "Utah-an" until Frank Laden (who speaks with a thick eastern accent) became the coach of the Utah Jazz basketball team. When someone says "Utahan" it sounds like they are speaking with a drawl. This incorrect spelling and pronunciation has been perpetuated by people who never bothered to consider what Utahns call themselves (dictionary publishers included). It's kind of like going to Oregon and pronouncing Oregonian wrong. The locals pronounce it "or-go-nee-un," and you will be quickly corrected if you say it wrong. Would you call someone from Iowa an Iowa'an? Dictionary publishers have been slow to follow suit with the GPO even though their own policies usually state that the preferred spelling and pronunciation should agree with the spelling and pronunciation used by the locals in question.

Dictionaries include words that are actually used by human beings. This word is. See "utahan"&btnG=Search+Books&tbm=bks&tbo=1#q=%22utahans%22&tbm=bks. Equinox ◑ 17:31, 17 March 2014 (UTC)