Register Log In Wordsmith Talk Forums General Topics Information and announcements Eskimo Search Advanced Forum Search Forums Calendar Active Threads

Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Eskimo #5976 09/01/2000 3:38 PM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3 BobFrisbeeMay stranger BobFrisbeeMay stranger Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3 My adolescent son gives a UC Berkeley freshperson as his citation of authority for the following: "Eskimo" is a term applied by Europeans to Inuit peoples. In the Inuit language the word "Eskimo" refers to female genitals. This is NOT the etymology I have found in the Merriam Webster college or other dictionaries. (Although the dictionaries' references to 'one who eats raw flesh' is at least suggestive.) Any better authorities for the etymology of this word? BobFrisbeeMay Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Eskimo #5977 09/01/2000 5:46 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Welcome, pardner! H'yar's whut Merriam-Webster's on-line Collegiate Dictionary has to say: Main Entry: Es·ki·mo Pronunciation: 'es-k&-"mO Function: noun Etymology: obsolete Esquimawe, prob. from Spanish esquimao, from Montagnais (Algonquian language of eastern Canada) aiachkime8 Micmac, Eskimo; probably akin to modern Montagnais assime.w she laces a snowshoe, Ojibwa askime. Date: 1584 1 plural Eskimo or Eskimos : a member of a group of peoples of northern Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and eastern Siberia 2 : any of the languages of the Eskimo peoples - Es·ki·mo·an /"es-k&-'mO-&n/ adjective a word to the wise: the Q & A section might be better for next time, and I hope there are quite a few of those, Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

Default Style BlackNTan Drab eBay GooG v2 infopop new dark new light original dark original stock rounded corners Slate snow sunny dropshadow theblues Touch Of Grey UBB.threads UBB.threads - Dark UBB.threads - Light UBBCentral UBBCentral - Crimson UBBCentral - Lime UBBCentral - Marshmallow UBBCentral - Mocha UBBCentral - Zen UBBT77 UBBT77 - Dark ubbthreads ubbthreads-dark Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith Talk