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Excursus: Eskimo Words for Snow
The famous line that “Eskimo have a hundred words for snow” apparently originated in speculation, not research. The image is vivid, and it makes the correct point that languages tend to elaborate vocabulary in areas of focal interest to their speakers. Still, Eskimo languages in fact have nowhere near the prodigious numbers of words for snow assumed for them. Because of your great curiosity on this subject, here are some entries from four dictionaries of Eskimo languages.
- BADTEN, Linda Womkon
- 1987 A dictionary of the St. Lawrence Island/Siberian Yupik Eskimo language. Compiled by Linda Womkon Badten, Vera Oovi Kaneshiro, Marie Oovi; edited by Steven A. Jacobson. 2nd prelim ed. Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center, College of Liberal Arts, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Page 390. UCSD: PM94 .Z5B33.
| snow bunting: | mesaqaaghaq |
snow, drifting snow: | pightuq |
snow flurries: | umegreghaq |
snow in air: | qaik |
snow melting in spring: | qangaari |
snow on ground: | anigu |
snow, soft and deep: | aghpumla, apumek,
kalevnaq, mughayaneq, qetumla |
snow, wet snow falling: | ughugesnaq |
snowdrift: | gengaghuq |
snowed in: | anigute |
snowflake: | qanik |
- LOWE, Ronald
- 1984 Uummarmiut uqalungiha mumikhitchirutingit = Basic Uummarmiut Eskimo dictionary. Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada: Committee for Original Peoples Entitlement. Page 248. UCSD PM64 .Z9U956
| snow: | |
deep soft — | mauya |
drifting — | natirvik |
—is drifting along the ground | natirvikhuq |
fallen — | apun |
falling — | qannik |
packed — | aniu |
soft — | aqiya |
sugar — | pukak |
wet — | mitchak |
snowflake | qannik |
is snowing | qannikhuq |
is snowing heavily | qannikpaur^araa |
is snowing lightly | qannialar^uk |
is covered with — | apigaa |
something covered with — | aputr^aq |
fetches — to make water | aniutaqtuq |
took the — off it | aputaiyaraa |
snowbank | aniuvak |
snowblock | kaataq |
snowdrift, small —resembling a ripple | qayuq¬lak |
snowhouse | aputr^aq, iglu |
- MacLEAN, Edna Ahgeak
- 1981 Inupiallu tannillu uqalunisa ilanich = Abridged Inupiaq and English dictionary. Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska & Barrow, Alaska: Inupiat Language Commission, North Slope Borough. Page 148. UCSD PM63 .M29
| snow |
snow (lying on a surface) | apun |
to snow | qannIk- |
for there to be blowing snow at ground level | natiögIk-(i) |
to become snow-covered | api-(t) |
- THIBERT, Arthur
- 1958 Dictionary; English-Eskimo, Eskimo-English. Rev. ed. Ottawa: Research Center for Amerindian Anthropology, University of Ottawa. Page 52. UCSD: PM63 .T5
| snow (spread out) | aput. |
snow beating (is beating snow) | tiluktortok |
snow block (for building) | auverk. |
snow drifting (it is drifting) | perksertok |
snow (first snow fall) | apingaut. |
snow (for melting into water) | aniuk, anio. |
snow is hard | sitidlorak. |
snow-house | iglu |
snow (like salt) | pokaktok |
snow (mixed with water) | massak |
snow (newly drifted) | akelrorak |
snow (on clothese, boots etc.) | ayak |
snow (is soft) | mauyak, mauyaôlertok |
snows (it) | kannertok. |
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