eskimo

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical collective label for Inuit and Yupik peoples and related Arctic communities; now often considered outdated or offensive, especially in Canada and Greenland

   The editor replaced Eskimo with the specific community name except when quoting the historical source.

2. 2
   adj

   historical: relating to the peoples or languages formerly grouped under this label

   The archive retained the phrase Eskimo languages in its original nineteenth-century catalogue entry.

3. 3
   noun

   short for American Eskimo Dog or Canadian Eskimo Dog

   The American Eskimo won the small-dog agility event.

Via French Esquimau, probably ultimately from an Innu-aimun form related to ayaskimew, often interpreted as 'snowshoe-netter.' The once-common claim that it meant 'raw-meat eater' is not accepted by most linguists. Modern usage should follow the names preferred by the specific community.

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