1 thousand words for reindeer?

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

Yes, and I suspect that they call a robin something like [rabIn].

In a message dated 11/28/04 8:14:41 AM, barnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM writes:


> In a recent article in The Independent:
> 
> "Climate change and unfamiliar species leave Inuit lost for words
> By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
> 
> 28 November 2004
> 
> Global warming is increasingly rendering Inuit and other Arctic peoples at
> a loss for words. They simply do not have names in their languages for the
> temperate species flocking up from the south.
> 
> They have plenty of ways of describing their own wildlife - some have more
> than 1,000 words for reindeer - but none for, say, the robin, which is
> only now venturing north of the treeline. ...."
> 
> This seems to be another case of journalistic exaggeration.  More
> mythology about "snow words" I suspect.
> 
> Regards,
> David
> 
> barnhart at highlands.com
> 
>