snowblind

In light of the first big snowfall of the year (and because I had a long time to think about various language-related topics as my car crept from Harvard Square to Brookline over the course of ninety minutes this afternoon), I thought it only appropriate to bring up one of the most infamous bits of bad language intelligence.

I refer, of course, to the notion that the Eskimo language has 10/20/50/100/a bajillion words for snow.

It might make for a lovely lede, but the truth of the matter is this: Eskimo does not have a bajillion words for snow. In point of fact, there isn't even really a language called "Eskimo."

Take a look at the Ethnologue listing for members of the Eskimo-Aleut language family here:

Aleut (USA)
Inupiatun, North Alaskan (USA)
Inupiatun, Northwest Alaska (USA)
Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian (Canada)
Inuktitut, Western Canadian (Canada)
Inuktitut, Greenlandic (Greenland)
Yupik, Pacific Gulf (USA)
Yupik, Central (USA)
Yupik, Central Siberian (USA)
Yupik, Naukan (Russia (Asia))
Yupik, Sirenik (Russia (Asia))

Granted, all but Aleut could be classified as "Eskimo" - but notice that none are, in fact, called "Eskimo." So when you say "the Eskimo language," you might as well be saying "the Romance language," which means ultimately that you might as well just be spouting general nonsense.

After all, if the word "bajillion" is not the least straightforward and transparent word in a sentence, you know you're in some real trouble.

The truth of the matter, no matter what your average language-indifferent trivia buff may tell you, is that the Eskimo-Aleut languages do not have a crazy high number of words for snow - I believe the number of words in Greenlandic Inuktitut for snow is about twelve. I would quote exact numbers with more authority here, but sadly I don't currently have access to any Eskimo-Aleut dictionaries or any of my usual language books. Although I did pick up an extremely promising-looking guide to Manchu while in Cambridge yesterday. (It's a sickness, it really is.)

But to find out more (and more specifics) about the reasons why the Eskimo language myth has become so prevalent, I highly recommend reading the titular essay of Geoffrey Pullum's great and memorable collection, The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax, in which Professor Pullum efficiently and brilliantly cuts to the heart of the matter - and manages to get in a few entertaining digs at poor Benjamin Whorf's expense as well.

But even though the linguistic community has long been aware that the Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax is just that - a hoax - popular media persists in using it like an amateur chef with an excess of fresh parsley.

Which brings me to my point: if you're currently stuck at home, watching the slush or sleet or flurries or flakes piling up outside your window, do your own small part to subvert mass misconception. If your friends or relatives try to tell you that if they lived in Greenland, they'd have many more ways to describe the stuff they're going to bitch about having to shovel out their driveways the next morning, don't agree with them. Instead, ask them this: if the Eskimos having bajillions of words to describe snow says something important about their culture, what does it say about Americans who have bajillions of words for "complain"?

(Whine, bitch, moan, complain, grouse, grumble, bleat, fuss, bleat, carp, moan, snivel, gripe, kvetch, bellyache, crab, bemoan, bewail, grouch - luckily, this is something that I don't need a dictionary for.)

Happy digging!