"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.

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".

-- 
Floyd L. Davidson            <http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)                         floyd / apaflo.com