It would help a great deal if what you learned were true though,
and *none* of the above is.
There are two Eskimo languages, and each of them has just about
the same number of terms for snow that English does. Swedish,
Norwegian, Danish and Russian all most certainly have an equal
number too.
As for "Inuit", keep in mind that not all Eskimos are Inuit, and
the others (not to mention some who actually *are* Inuit),
distinctly do *not* like to be called Inuit.
The Inuit in Canada and Greenland would prefer to be called
Inuit, and since there are no Yupik Eskimos there, it makes
sense. But in Siberia all Eskimos are Yupik. And in Alaska
there are both Inuit and Yupik, so we use the term Eskimo with
regularity. In particular because the Inuit Eskimos in Alaska
do *not* like the term Inuit, and call themselves Inupiat!
Regardless, the term Eskimo is *not* derogatory, and happens to
be the one an the *only* term in the English language which
encompasses all Eskimo cultures, languages, or peoples.
···
Dr Nic <drnicwilliams@gmail.com> wrote:
Paul Robinson wrote:
For one, I heared that Eskimos use some tens of various words for
different kinds of snow and ice. You get the idea.
They're called inuits, not eskimos - calling somebody an eskimo is
like calling them a nigger, i.e. highly offensive - but I'm aware of
what you mean by the snow/ice thing.
I never knew that Eskimos was a derogatory term. The things you learn on
the Ruby forum
Your usage was entirely correct. You did not specify which
Eskimo language you were referencing, and by using the all
inclusive term you indicate (quite correctly) that *both* Yupik
and Inuit languages are claimed by some to have some large
number of words for snow.
The fact is they don't. But that is unrelated to the error
others make in thinking that "Inuit" is a direct replacement for
the term "Eskimo".
···
"Michal Suchanek" <hramrach@centrum.cz> wrote:
On 8/31/06, Paul Robinson <paul@iconoplex.co.uk> wrote:
On 31 Aug 2006, at 14:25, Michal Suchanek wrote:
> For one, I heared that Eskimos use some tens of various words for
> different kinds of snow and ice. You get the idea.
They're called inuits, not eskimos - calling somebody an eskimo is
like calling them a nigger, i.e. highly offensive - but I'm aware of
what you mean by the snow/ice thing.
I hereby apologize to any Inuits frequenting this list. To my defence
I'd like to say that the word Eskimo was adopted into Czech probably
more than half a century ago, and sice there are no Inuits around the
nationality designation could not collect any negative racist or
pejorative connotations.
I see you've been updating the subject list. If you're still up for it, here're my votes, from most to least interested:
Rubyist Magazine 0017
Exerb 4.1.0 Released
Miyako v0.9.9 release
Ruby/SDL Starter Kit
About marshal compatibility
I want Enumerable#empty?
Open Source ML questionnaire Results
nil and unknown
...
Nothing jumps out as demanding to be translated, though, 'cept Rubima.
There are two Eskimo languages, and each of them has just about
the same number of terms for snow that English does. Swedish,
Norwegian, Danish and Russian all most certainly have an equal
number too.
As for "Inuit", keep in mind that not all Eskimos are Inuit, and
the others (not to mention some who actually *are* Inuit),
distinctly do *not* like to be called Inuit.
However, Eskimo *is* a derogatory term applied by other natives first.
The Inuit in Canada and Greenland would prefer to be called
Inuit, and since there are no Yupik Eskimos there, it makes
sense. But in Siberia all Eskimos are Yupik. And in Alaska
there are both Inuit and Yupik, so we use the term Eskimo with
regularity. In particular because the Inuit Eskimos in Alaska
do *not* like the term Inuit, and call themselves Inupiat!
That's because they're *not* Inuit, they're Inupiat. Different tribes,
different names. (One would not call an Ojibwe an Iroquois. You'd be
wrong.)
Regardless, the term Eskimo is *not* derogatory, and happens to
be the one an the *only* term in the English language which
encompasses all Eskimo cultures, languages, or peoples.
This is untrue. It's a derogatory term introduced. Most people didn't
*learn* it as a derogatory term, but it is no less derogatory for that
oversight.
Thanks for the information. That's what I was looking for.
Yes, I have been adding to the list a little each day.
I put up links to the Japanese sites for Miyako and Ruby/SDL Starter Kit.
If you are interested in downloading, maybe I can save you some time
by telling you where to look. Let me know here or use the contact info
at my site.
Harry
···
On 1/18/07, Devin Mullins <twifkak@comcast.net> wrote:
Harry,
I see you've been updating the subject list. If you're still up for it,
here're my votes, from most to least interested:
Rubyist Magazine 0017
Exerb 4.1.0 Released
Miyako v0.9.9 release
Ruby/SDL Starter Kit
About marshal compatibility
I want Enumerable#empty?
Open Source ML questionnaire Results
nil and unknown
...
Nothing jumps out as demanding to be translated, though, 'cept Rubima.
There are two Eskimo languages, and each of them has just about
the same number of terms for snow that English does. Swedish,
Norwegian, Danish and Russian all most certainly have an equal
number too.
As for "Inuit", keep in mind that not all Eskimos are Inuit, and
the others (not to mention some who actually *are* Inuit),
distinctly do *not* like to be called Inuit.
However, Eskimo *is* a derogatory term applied by other natives first.
There are two claimed etymologies that have a claim to being
valid. One of the, which Canadian anthropologists Jose Mailhot
supports, is that came from words meaning "People who speak a
different language". The other is from Ives Goddard (at the
Smithsonian Institute), who thinks it means "snowshoe netter".
The idea that it means "eaters of raw meat" is a bit silly,
since neither side would have considered that derogatory anyway.
It does fit European derived perceptions of a good insult
though, which suggests where the idea came from.
The Inuit in Canada and Greenland would prefer to be called
Inuit, and since there are no Yupik Eskimos there, it makes
sense. But in Siberia all Eskimos are Yupik. And in Alaska
there are both Inuit and Yupik, so we use the term Eskimo with
regularity. In particular because the Inuit Eskimos in Alaska
do *not* like the term Inuit, and call themselves Inupiat!
That's because they're *not* Inuit, they're Inupiat. Different tribes,
different names. (One would not call an Ojibwe an Iroquois. You'd be
wrong.)
Inupiat *is* Inuit. The words have very slightly different
connotations. The people, the language, and the culture are all
the same, with of course minor regional variations as one goes
from western Alaska all the way to eastern Greenland.
The difference between Inupiat, Inuit and Inupik is the same as
between Yup'ik, Yupik and Yupiaq.
Regardless, the term Eskimo is *not* derogatory, and happens to
be the one an the *only* term in the English language which
encompasses all Eskimo cultures, languages, or peoples.
This is untrue. It's a derogatory term introduced. Most people didn't
*learn* it as a derogatory term, but it is no less derogatory for that
oversight.
What you are stating has no basis in reality. Where did you
learn about Eskimos? I know a few thousands of Eskimos, all of
whom call themselves Eskimos.
···
"Austin Ziegler" <halostatue@gmail.com> wrote:
On 8/31/06, Floyd L. Davidson <floyd@apaflo.com> wrote:
