May I introduce...
The wonderful spring weather of April in Iceland?
You better get your coat, ´cause this ain´t pretty!
I mean what is all that about. Granted, Iceland-due to its unfourtunate name - has a certain reputation to maintain, but this is just pushing it.
I demand that somebody get in contact with the proper authorities and rectify this sad excuse for a spring.
But in keeping with this weather, I have decided to make this post all wintery. As you all know, misery loves company :)
Familair with the myth of eskimos having over 100 words for snow? Well, it´s a lot of frozen bullshit. If you try really hard you can come up with about a dozen or so. Melted snow is just water after all!
Eskimo Snow Lexemes
A. Snow particles
(1) Snowflake
qanuk 'snowflake'
qanir- 'to snow'
(2) Frost
kaneq 'frost'
kaner- 'be frosty/frost sth.'
(3) Fine snow/rain particles
kanevvluk 'fine snow/rain particles
kanevcir- to get fine snow/rain particles
(4) Drifting particles
natquik 'drifting snow/etc'
natqu(v)igte- 'for snow/etc. to drift along ground'
(5) Clinging particles
nevluk 'clinging debris/
nevlugte- 'have clinging debris/...'lint/snow/dirt...'
B. Fallen snow
(6) Fallen snow on the ground
aniu [NS] 'snow on ground'
aniu- [NS] 'get snow on ground'
apun [NS] 'snow on ground'
qanikcaq 'snow on ground'
qanikcir- 'get snow on ground'
(7) Soft, deep fallen snow on the ground
muruaneq 'soft deep snow'
(8) Crust on fallen snow
qetrar- [NSU] 'for snow to crust'
qerretrar- [NSU] 'for snow to crust'
(9) Fresh fallen snow on the ground
nutaryuk 'fresh snow' [HBC]
(10) Fallen snow floating on water
qanisqineq 'snow floating on water'
C. Snow formations
(11) Snow bank
qengaruk 'snow bank' [Y, HBC]
(12) Snow block
utvak 'snow carved in block'
(13) Snow cornice
navcaq [NSU] 'snow cornice, snow (formation) about to collapse'
navcite- 'get caught in an avalanche'
This list was stolen from this site: http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~atman/Misc/eskimo-snow-words.html
Well, I am glad we cleared this up! Just because there is a lot of snow, doesn´t mean they must have many words for it. Preconceived ideas! It´s like assuming the weather must be frosty in Iceland.
:)
You better get your coat, ´cause this ain´t pretty!
I mean what is all that about. Granted, Iceland-due to its unfourtunate name - has a certain reputation to maintain, but this is just pushing it.
I demand that somebody get in contact with the proper authorities and rectify this sad excuse for a spring.
But in keeping with this weather, I have decided to make this post all wintery. As you all know, misery loves company :)
Familair with the myth of eskimos having over 100 words for snow? Well, it´s a lot of frozen bullshit. If you try really hard you can come up with about a dozen or so. Melted snow is just water after all!
Eskimo Snow Lexemes
A. Snow particles
(1) Snowflake
qanuk 'snowflake'
qanir- 'to snow'
(2) Frost
kaneq 'frost'
kaner- 'be frosty/frost sth.'
(3) Fine snow/rain particles
kanevvluk 'fine snow/rain particles
kanevcir- to get fine snow/rain particles
(4) Drifting particles
natquik 'drifting snow/etc'
natqu(v)igte- 'for snow/etc. to drift along ground'
(5) Clinging particles
nevluk 'clinging debris/
nevlugte- 'have clinging debris/...'lint/snow/dirt...'
B. Fallen snow
(6) Fallen snow on the ground
aniu [NS] 'snow on ground'
aniu- [NS] 'get snow on ground'
apun [NS] 'snow on ground'
qanikcaq 'snow on ground'
qanikcir- 'get snow on ground'
(7) Soft, deep fallen snow on the ground
muruaneq 'soft deep snow'
(8) Crust on fallen snow
qetrar- [NSU] 'for snow to crust'
qerretrar- [NSU] 'for snow to crust'
(9) Fresh fallen snow on the ground
nutaryuk 'fresh snow' [HBC]
(10) Fallen snow floating on water
qanisqineq 'snow floating on water'
C. Snow formations
(11) Snow bank
qengaruk 'snow bank' [Y, HBC]
(12) Snow block
utvak 'snow carved in block'
(13) Snow cornice
navcaq [NSU] 'snow cornice, snow (formation) about to collapse'
navcite- 'get caught in an avalanche'
This list was stolen from this site: http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~atman/Misc/eskimo-snow-words.html
Well, I am glad we cleared this up! Just because there is a lot of snow, doesn´t mean they must have many words for it. Preconceived ideas! It´s like assuming the weather must be frosty in Iceland.
:)
26 Comments:
Here's wishing you some spring warmth! Welcome back.
Hi Joel. You just answered as soon as I published. How very efficient of you! I think this is teh first time as first commenter on my blog. You win?...my approval :)
This post is so meaningful to me because we learned about this in my masters, how cultures pick words for what is meaningful or pertinent for them.. and one of the examples was how snow has so many dif names in Alaska b/c of the value for it. In pakistan we dont say aunt/uncle for our relatives. They each have a different name, maternal aunt: khala, maternal aunt's husband khaloo, maternal brother, mamoo, etc etc its interesting how the words we have show the values we have. Sorry for the tangent, interesting post :)
Thanks for the education. This post reminds me of Peter Hoeg's "Smilla's Sense of Snow" only with Minka ;-)
I like it
Minka Makes Sense of Snow,
there is a blog title in there somewhere!
:-p
it does look pretty to me, I love it. but for you I am joining those that wish you warm and shiny Spring, if we are enough and wish it hard enough, it will come true!
Now this is the Iceland I know and love....Spring and Summer will probably come at the same time and stay for two months :)
Love that list, looks like a language that would be easy to master after you have got Snow down.
I loved your flickr photos, what a beautiful family.
Hey, at least you have seasons.
Here in seattle we have grey
then two days of summer
then grey
Knew there was a reason that I've never been to Seattle.
Welcome back Monika--you've been spelling your name wrong in comments and it's been too much for my addled brain
But the snow descriptions more than made up for it ;-)
aisha, yeah I remember hearing about this myth in linguistics at university. And people say we don´t learn anythign at school :)
Cube, Minka is here to serve you! There is plenty more useful information where that came from!
Logo, there sure is, but at the present I´d rather contemplate on the possibility of sunshine ;)
ariel, all wishes are appreciated. Maybe a prayer?
Móa, Thank you and I love it too, teh snow of Iceland I mean...just not at the end of April!
TVI, Ok...you win! I rather have snow and sunshine than grey all year in!
Pia, Minka is a nick that Doug gave me and I quite like it. So I have started to use it and it is catching on quickly!
I am shivering just looking at the photos!! I hate the cold... ugg... really really really
I do like your blog though! thanks for sharing!! \
cheers!! Kate
I understand your frustration, my folks called a couple weeks ago and were complaining because it was snowing. Mother nature didn't get the memo that spring has arrived.
kate, welcome...I have seen you somewhere around teh blogs I visit. Thank you for stopping by.
myutopia, where do your folks live. Is there another place on the face of the earth where it has the audacity to snow in April. I need to know...and welcome. Pleased to make your aquaintance!
Ooooh! Cynthia Nixon was here! How exciting is that!
VI, Seattle sounds like San Francisco but the grey in Seattle was too much for me to bear... I didn't get enough sky for some reason...
Monika, how beautiful! But yes, about time for some warmth! When are you coming to Spain?!?!?
Ironically, Minka, I've always wanted to live where snow was a regular thing. And I live in Southern California fearing the end of Spring in about a week.
well, you just have to think how much more you appreciate every little bit of spring and sunshine when you live in a snowy country right?
don't you worry-spring WILL come, when its good and ready :-)
Miz B...yes Miranda has arrived and I am overjoyed. So she came from the bohemian site?
Douglas, any day you feel like a switch...I´ll give you my place for a month and I´ll take yours. Its an open offer!
making extra money, get out of here!
kyahgirl, right you are. I just hoped that it would be ready at teh end of april :) Watched teh weather forcast today...there is supposed to be 8 degreed Celsius here...I am gonna celebrate with ice-cream, but my sandals and short pants on and I hope that spring will get the hint!
Well it is quite pretty when you are from Southern California and you don't get to experience the snow unless you take a long drive to see it. It has never snowed here in my life and as I child I always wished it would do so.
Stay warm!
brrrrr...brrrrr... I'm a shivering just reading this.... :)
Put on a coat, will ya already!!! :) hehehehe
Thank you, Icy zebra.
No.... I just noticed her presence... So, when ARE you coming to Spain? (HAH! Thought you could escape my interrogation!) ;-)
I SOOOOOOO HATE SNOW!!!!!
Squarefirl, I could by a like tiny frisge and send you some snow next winter:) Snow is very pretty, especially the first one...everything looks so clean and bright. I love it too...in the WINTER!!! :)
Shayna, yes I am waering my coat and scarf, but since I have my car...things are much easier;)
Ben, now that is just mean...I just told you that zabras and I donæt match;)
Miz Bohemia, well...our plans start on teh 20th of mai...so I hope I will let you know then. Just seems that we are not getting as good an offer as we´d like. But I´ll keep you posted!
Jodes, "Dein Wort in Gottes Gehörgang!" :) means roughly: May God hear your well-spoken words and act accordingly :)
A very hearty welcome back! I did notice the similar post titles - I swear I didn't steal it, great minds think alike? ;)
The funny thing about snow for me is, growing up in Southern California I longed for it. Living in the Northeast, I grew to hate it. Now in Southeast, I tolerate it. It's actually perfect. Just enough to remind you it's winter, but then it melts away the same day so you don't go out of your mind watching it get dirty and slushy.
Even so... that's a lot of snowy words!
That is a sad, sad, sad spring there in Iceland.
I hope some warmth comes your way soon.
I'd be wearing heating pads all the time.
I'm the girl who is ALWAYS cold. I can't imagine living in a place like Iceland.:(
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