for the future reference of all concerned

[robindreamer]

whatever any of you may have heard about the extraordinary number of words the Eskimo language has for snow--20, 43, 600--is false

Comments

[somebodyelse]

I think I may have read that a year or more ago, or at least, in some medium I was told that the whole thing is a hoax. Anyhoo, I really envy you this class, m'dear... I may have to borrow that book over the summer or something.

[ms_glass]

Avalanche is not a word for snow. It is a word for a landslide or falling rocks or snow. Just because snow may be involved does not make it a word for snow.

[somebodyelse]

Yes, but in the original "count" of words for snow in Inuit, they counted words like that (I'm pretty sure.) so it makes sense for the count in English.

[ms_glass]

Words like 'snowstorm' and 'snowflake' which were mentioned above are much more related to snow than avalanche is.

[somebodyelse]

I'm not contesting that. I'm saying that to make it as close to the inuit count in procedure, even words as tangentially related as avalanche might be counted.