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From: jeff@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Jeff Dalton)
Newsgroups: sci.lang,comp.cog-eng,sci.psychology,sci.philosophy.tech
Subject: Re: Computer Languages and the Sapir/Whorf hypothesis
Keywords: computer languages, Sapir/Whorf hypothesis, linguistics, snow, eskimos
Message-ID: <3279@skye.ed.ac.uk>
Date: 23 Aug 90 17:10:37 GMT
References: <5137@munnari.oz.au> <1445@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu> <1990Aug22.194652.7421@fs-1.iastate.edu>
Reply-To: jeff@aiai.UUCP (Jeff Dalton)
Organization: AIAI, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Lines: 71

In article <1990Aug22.194652.7421@fs-1.iastate.edu> spam@iastate.edu (Begley Michael L) writes:
>
>This is one of those _completely_ false myths.  The eskimo language has
>only two words for snow---one that means 'snow that is falling' and 'snow
>that has fallen'.  This myth was created by a linguist who published a
>paper that stated (in an attempt to demonstrate the same concept you stated)
>that the eskimo language has ~25 different words for snow _without_
>researching__the_eskimo_languages_at_all_!

There was a big fight about such issues on Eunet.politics a while
ago, with many people claiming such things as "language is culture".
(Some people clearly regrad something along the lines of the Sapir/
Whorf hypothesis as making a very important point about culture
and why one should learn other languages.)

The Eskimo words for snow came up, of course, and eventually (after
most of it had died down), the following was posted:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>From: cedelle@yin.irisa.fr (Alain Cedelle)
Newsgroups: eunet.politics
Subject: 31 Eskimo words about snow.
Message-ID: <1990May30.124940.22664@irisa.fr>
Date: 30 May 90 12:36:20 GMT
Sender: news@irisa.fr
Distribution: eunet
Organization: IRISA, Rennes/Roazhon
Lines: 41


 Here is an answer to the old question about the number of words describing
 snow in Eskimo languages:

 These are 31 words about snow, from the Inuit, Aivilik and Igloolik languages. 
 from J.  MacDonald from igloolik research center.
 (this list is probably not exhaustive)

 Aluiqqaniq   : Snowdrift on a steep hill, overhanging on top.
 Aniuk        : Snow for drinking water.
 Aniuvak      : Snow remaining in holes.
 Aput         : Snow on the ground (close to the generic Snow)
 Aqilluqqaaq  : Fresh and soggy snow
 Auviq        : snow brick, to build igloo
 Ijaruvak     : Melted snow, turned in ice cristals.
 Isiriartaq   : Falling snow, yellow or red.
 Kanangniut   : Snowdrift made by North-East wind.
 Katakartanaq : Crusty snow, broken by steps.
 Kavisilaq    : snow hardened by rain or frost
 Kinirtaq     : wet and compact snow.
 Masak        : wet snow, saturated.
 Matsaaq      : snow in water
 Maujaq       : deep and soft snow, where it's dificult to walk.
 Mingullaut   : thin powder snow, enters by cracks and covers objects.
 Mituk        : small snow layer on the water of a fishing hole.
 Munnguqtuq   : compressed snow which began to soften in spring.
 Natiruviaqtuq: snow blasts on the ground.
 Niggiut      : snowdrift with South-east wind
 Niummak      : hard waving snow staying on ice fields
 Pingangnuit  : snowdrift made by south-west wind
 Piqsiq       : snow lift by wind. Blizzard.
 Pukak        : dry snow cristals, like sugar powder
 Qannialaaq   : light falling snow
 Qanniq       : falling snow
 Quiasuqaq    : re-frozen snow surface, making crust.
 Qiqiqralijarnatuq: crissing snow when walked on.
 Uangniut     : snowdrift made by north-west wind. 
 Uluarnaq     : round snowdrift
 Uqaluraq     : taper snowdrift

A.C.