Over 100 words for snow?

[Wilson Gray]

Geoffrey Pullum has shown that this claim is utter bullshit. BTW, are
you merely exaggerating for effect WRT "over 100 words"? I certainly
hope so, because, when I first heard this claim, ca.1950, it was that
the Eskimaux had *eight* words for various *concrete manifestations*
of snow," but *no* term for the concept, "snow," in the *abstract,*
such as exists in the languages of all civilized people.

A real thigh-slapper! These primitive languages are a hoot!

-Wilson
–––
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
-Mark Twain



On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 11:01 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Over 100 words for snow?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I know this has been discussed before, but the archives are not
> responding at the moment.
>
> What is the current best opinion on whether "the Eskimos ... have
> over a hundred words for snow"?  (Please ignore the fact that my
> source refers to "Eskimos" rather than a language.)
>
> Joel
>
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