For many years, speculation was high that the language of the Eskimos had over 400 words for ‘snow’. This speculation was based on the idea that foreign cultures, especially ‘primitive peoples’, see the world in a different way. This could not be summarily disregarded because, after all, Eskomos are surrounded by snow all the time.
The idea that Eskimos had so many words for snow has been quoted repeatedly. In fact, translation of the Eskimo language shows they have only two words for snow: ‘quanik’ for snow already on the ground and ‘aput’ for falling snow.
All the other known words incorporate the word ‘snow’ within them, similar to English, i.e. words like snowball, snowdrift, snowfall, snowfield, snowflake, snowstorm, etc, some of which have derived from mistranslation of language through the centuries.
The total number of words in the Eskimo language concerning snow is roughly a dozen which, coincidentally, is about the same as in German!
