Tribe-names and local groups. The Caribou Eskimos — like almost all Eskimos — call themselves [inuit], the plural of [inuk], which means, partly, a person and, in its narrower sense, an Eskimo, and partly in the possessive form [inua] a personification of all, live and lifeless, objects. The fundamental meaning is without doubt more "inhabitant", "possessor", and the root seems to be related to [ine], place of residence. Just that feeling of something living, which we connect with the word inhabitant, is strongly expressed in the anthropomorphistic thought of the Eskimos which, of the special term [inua], creates the conception of countless individualities or spirits — a conception that is quite different to that of the soul.
Among the Chipewyan the Eskimos are called [ᵒtᴿæn·a], which, according to the explanation of Mgr. Turquetil, Chesterfield, is a contraction of [otʀæʟ-æn·a] and, translated, means "the enemies (especially Cree) from the flat (i. e. woodless) country.[1] The Cree call the Eskimos [aⁱski·maʷåk], which literally translated means "those who eat raw meat". This is undoubtedly the same word as our "Eskimo".[2] It is true that doubt has been raised regarding this etymology, partly by Richardson, whose derivation of ceux-qui-miaux (miaulent) we may doubtless abandon without much harm being done, and partly also by Thalbitzer in more recent times.[3] According to this writer the word appears for the first time in the forms Excomminquois, Ercomminqui or Escoumins in the Jesuit mission reports from Nouvelle France 1612–14, whereas the modern form has first appeared round about the year 1700. This latter at any rate is incorrect, as Esquimawes is said to be found as early as in Hakluyt 1584, and
- ↑ Mgr. Turquetil has for many years been a missionary among the Chipewyan at Reindeer Lake and speaks their language fluently. In the Indian words given "æ" and "å" mean the corresponding sounds in Danish or the vowels in the French lait and rocque respectively.
- ↑ Powell (1891: 72) derives it from the related eskimantik, "raw-meat-eaters". Petitot (1876; ix) also quotes ayiskiméwok, "c'est-à-dire ceux qui agissent en secret".
- ↑ Richardson 1851; I 340. Thalbitzer 1914: 542.
