Eskimo words for snow

The claim that there are an unusually large number of Eskimo words for snow refers to the belief that Eskaleut languages, specifically the Yupik and Inuit varieties, have far more words for snow than other languages, particularly in contrast to English.

"Eskimo snow" redirects here. For the album by Why?, see Eskimo Snow.

It is often used to support the controversial linguistic relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis or "Whorfianism". The strongest interpretation of this hypothesis, which posits that a language's vocabulary (among other features) shapes or limits its speakers' view of the world, has been challenged, though a 2010 study supports the core notion that these languages have many more words for snow than the English language. The original claim is based in the work of anthropologist Franz Boas and was particularly promoted by his contemporary, Benjamin Lee Whorf, whose name is connected with the hypothesis. The idea is commonly tied to larger discussions on the connections between language and thought.

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