Etymograph / Myth vs. record / Eskimo

Myth vs. record

Eskimo

Every word has its own definition in its root. Some words also carry a story about where they came from. Here is what Wiktionary says about the story, and what the record shows.

What Wiktionary says about the story

An older theory, defended by John Steckley due to its greater acceptance in Native oral traditions, but discredited by linguists, is that it derives from a term meaning "eater(s) of raw meat".

The record

Eskimo comes from French Esquimau ‘Eskimo’.

1. Frenchc. 1600–presentEsquimau¹‘Eskimo’disputed
2. Englishearliest quotation 1958Eskimo¹

The full lineage of Eskimo →