On Sun, Aug 24, 2003 at 02:10:01AM -0400, Levi Ramsey wrote: > On Sat Aug 23 0:46 +0200, Pierre Jarillon wrote: > > Le Vendredi 22 Août 2003 14:23, Adam Williamson a écrit : > > > On Thu, 2003-08-21 at 21:25, Philip Webb wrote: > > > > 030820 J.A. Magallon wrote: > > > > > Eskimos have many words just for snow > > > > > > > > 'Eskimo' is itself an incorrect term today: they call themselves 'Inuit'. > > > > I have been told that eskimo means "raw meat eater" like animals does. > > That is correct... if I remember correctly, "eskimo" is an Algonquin > word for "eater(s) of raw meat", which gives you an idea of the > Algonquin's view of the Inuit... >
Eskimo and Inuit are not the same thing. >From http://www.straightdope.com/ The two words are not synonymous, "Eskimo" being the broader of the two. "Inuit" refers specifically to speakers of the Inupik language, of which there are about a dozen dialects. Canadian Eskimos are commonly called "Inuit" (singular "Inuk"), and that is perfectly appropriate there, since Canadian Eskimos are Inupik speakers. But "Eskimo" is still generally the preferred term in Alaska, since only some Alaskan Eskimos, those from the northern part of the state, are Inuit. Eskimos from the western and southern part of the state speak one of a related group of about six languages (or dialects) collectively called Yupik. Speakers of these languages are "Yuit" (singular "Yuk"), not Inuit, though the two words share a common origin and both mean "the people." The few thousand Eskimos of extreme eastern Siberia are also Yuit. The Eskimos of Greenland are Inupik speakers and so are correctly called Inuit, but they generally prefer to be called "Kalaallit" after Kalaallit Nunaat, their name for Greenland. The common objection to the use of "Eskimo" is that it comes from an Algonquian word meaning "eaters of raw flesh." That no longer seems so certain, as Cecil alluded to in this column http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010119.html Some linguists now believe it may come from an Algonquian word meaning "netters of snowshoes." In either case, there is no other word besides "Eskimo" that can refer to all Eskimos. Considering how upset people get about nationalism and such these days, it's probably a good idea to use the correct terms whereever possible. -- Murray J. Root
