Over 100 words for snow?

[Benjamin Barrett]

You can Google for the "Eskimo snow hoax" to get more details on it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo#Nomenclature
  has a discussion on the term "Eskimo." BB

On Feb 11, 2009, at 9:07 AM, Wilson Gray wrote:

> 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!
>
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 11:01 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net>
> wrote:
>>
>> 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.)
>>
>>

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