Eskimo etymology

Etymology:

• The term "Eskimo" comes from the Algonquian word "askimow" or "eskimo," which means "snowshoe-maker." The Algonquian peoples were native to what is now northeastern North America.

Meaning:

• "Eskimo" originally referred to a specific group of Indigenous people who lived in Arctic regions and made snowshoes.
• Over time, the term came to be applied to all Arctic-dwelling Indigenous peoples, regardless of their specific language or cultural group.

Origin:

• The term "Eskimo" was first used by European explorers and fur traders in the 16th century to refer to the Indigenous inhabitants of Labrador and the northern Hudson Bay region.
• It was later extended to other Arctic regions, including Greenland, Alaska, and Siberia.
• The Inuit, Yupik, and Aleut peoples of these regions prefer to use their own language-specific terms for themselves, such as "Inuit" or "Yup'ik."

Current Use:

• The term "Eskimo" is often considered outdated and offensive by many Indigenous peoples.
• It can be perceived as a collective term that ignores the diversity and self-determination of the various Arctic Indigenous groups.
• The preferred terms for Arctic Indigenous peoples include:
  • Inuit: Used by the people of Greenland, Canada's Arctic, and the northern United States
  • Yup'ik: Used by the people of southwest Alaska and eastern Siberia
  • Aleut: Used by the people of southwestern Alaska's Aleutian Islands

Eskimo relate terms

• Innuit

  Etymology The term Inuit comes from the Inuktitut word inuk which means person or

• husky

  Etymology The word husky originates from the Siberian Yupik word huske which means

• Eskimo

  Etymology The term Eskimo comes from the Algonquian word askimow or eskimo which

• pooch

  Etymology The word pooch is believed to have originated in the 16th century derived

• Indian

  Etymology The word Indian is derived from the Greek word Indos which referred to the

• Jesus

  Etymology The name Jesus is derived from the Greek name Iēsous Ἰησοῦς whi

• pistachio

  Etymology The word pistachio has its roots in the following languages Persian pist

• Babel

  Etymology The word Babel is derived from the Akkadian word Babilim which means The

• costume

  Etymology From Old French costume from Late Latin consuetudo meaning custom usage

• supplication

  Etymology The word supplication comes from the Latin word supplicare which means to