In Alaska, the Inuits have over
a hundred words to describe different types of snow. For example qanik is falling snow while anijo
means snow on the ground. Hiko or tsiko in some dialects is ice. Tsikut
describes large broken up masses of ice; hikuliaq
equals thin ice. Maneraq or smooth ice. My favorite being akuvijarjuak: thin ice on the sea[1].
I learn this in a cultural anthropology class during a brief discussion of
linguistics. When I go to look this up later, the internet claims that linguist
and artic explorer** Franz Boaz is a liar. He was only guessing when he shared
this information with the world but I believe he told the truth. Otherwise, I
would not have words to give you.
The word for Rhode Island’s blizzard
of 2013 is Nemo—someone had named the storm as if it were a hurricane. Supplies
were wiped out of grocery stores and gas stations the day before the snow came.
People began calling the storm by another name, Snowpocalypse. We were expected
to receive two feet.
Thursday night I watch the news
and it tells me this. I decide to hole up in my boyfriend’s house in a vain attempt
towards conforming to fear[2]. I have realized that for the
most part, there’s never anything to be afraid of. Everything so far has worked
out pretty well and so a mere blizzard cannot effect on my chances. It is important
in my depression for me to state this to someone. Otherwise I’d be like I was—when
I thought dying was a good idea.
2 comments:
I really enjoyed reading this piece -- and I like the way you're engaging with words from Inuktitut, the Inuit language, and its relatives.
Franz Boas was such a vexing and interesting character; among other things, he was Zora Neale Hurston's research supervisor, and one of the man responsible for the cruel treatment on Minik, the "New York Eskmo" abandoned by Peary in 1897. On the other hand, he pioneered "participant observation" and respect for native knowledge. I often include him in my "Northern Exposures" Core 4 class, which I'll be teaching once again this summer ...
In my psychology class last semester, My prof also mentioned how people in Alaska have many many names to describe the different kind of snow. They can easily distinguish between snow type.
I had a classmate in high school whol told me the Rhode Island is one of the safest place to live regarding natural disasters. It had something to do with geography and all the other stuff I am not good at. Ever since she told me that I don't really take the storm threats much seriously. I hope I do not jinx myself though
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