[OT] Inuit? Eskimo?

[Donn Cave]

In article <639f17f8.0310211020.53f31dbe at posting.google.com>,
 nholtz at docuweb.ca (Neal Holtz) wrote:

> Skip Montanaro <skip at pobox.com> wrote in message 
> news:<mailman.297.1066748057.2192.python-list at python.org>...
> > >> Yes, but it's sort of like the Eskimos ("arctic native americans"?) 
> >  So, I guess the [OT] pop quiz of the day is (fill
> > in the blank):
> > 
> >     "Native American" is to "American Indian" as ______ is to "Eskimo".
> > 
> > Anyone in the .ca domain care to educate the .us folks?
> 
> I think 'Inuit' would be best here.  For a decent definition, see
> 
>    http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=inuit

Hm, so follow that to usage note for Eskimo and read that
there is no general substitute that includes all people
known as Eskimos, and further that the supposed grounds
for offense is doubtful anyway.

To call a Yupik "Inuit", is like calling a Norwegian "Swedish"
because some unknown person once claimed that "Scandinavian"
meant "eater of smelly cheese".

   Donn Cave, donn at u.washington.edu