Posted by andy bolger on November 10, 2000 at 01:31:40 from 193.113.185.137:
In Reply to: Re: Eskimo vocabulary posted by Nina on November 09, 2000 at 05:03:36:
"snow-that-is-very-brittle-on-top-but-treacherlously-soft-underneath" is called "breakable crust" in my language but often preceded by the kind of adjectives that won't get through your family filter.
I am disappointed to hear that this story is apocryphal although it did have that free floating, non attributal feel to it. Still you can always fall back on Nuer colour terminology ( names of colours derived from the most important objects in their world; cattle) In this the "Black Swan" becomes "The Black Bull Coloured Swan". Or failing that, skiers / mountaineers words for snow. I'm sure I could rustle up 27 if I really try.