100 Eskimo Words for Snow tlapa - powder snow; tlacringit - snow that is crusted on the surface; kayi - drifting snow; tlapat - still snow; klin - remembered snow; naklin - forgotten snow; tlamo - snow that falls in large wet flakes; tlatim - snow that falls in small flakes; tlaslo - snow that falls slowly; tlapinti - snow that falls quickly; kripya - snow that has melted and refrozen; tliyel - snow that has been marked by wolves; tliyelin - snow that has been marked by Eskimos; blotla - blowing snow; pactla - snow that has been packed down; hiryla - snow in beards; wa ter - melted snow; tlayinq - snow mixed with mud; quinaya - snow mixed with husky shit; quinyaya - snow mixed with the shit of a lead dog; slimtla - snow that is crusted on top but soft underneath; kriplyana - snow that looks blue in the early morning; puntla - a mouthful of snow because you fibbed; allatla - baked snow; fritla - fried snow; gristla - deep fried snow; MacTla - snow burgers; jatla - snow between your fingers or toes, or in groin-folds; dinliltla - little balls of snow that cling to husky fur; sulitlana - green snow; mentlana - pink snow; tidtla - snow used for cleaning; ertla - snow used by Eskimo teenagers for exquisite erotic rituals; kriyantli - snow bricks; hahatla - small packages of snow given as gag gifts; semtla - partially melted snow; ontla - snow on objects; intla - snow that has drifted indoors; shlim - slush; warintla - snow used to make Eskimo daiquiris; mextla - snow used to make Eskimo Margaritas; penstla - the idea of snow; mortal - snow mounded on dead bodies; ylaipi - tomorrow’s snow; nylaipin - the snows of yesteryear; pritla - our children’s snow; nootlin - snow that doesn’t stick; rotlana - quickly accumulating snow; skriniya - snow that never reaches the ground; bluwid - snow that’s shaken down from objects in the wind; tlanid - snow that’s shaken down and then mixes with sky-falling snow; ever-tla - a spirit made from mashed fermented snow; talini - snow angels; priyakli - snow that looks like it’s falling upward; chiup - snow that makes halos; blontla - snow that’s shaken off in the mudroom; tlalman - snow sold to German tourists; tlalam - snow sold to American tourists; tlanip - snow sold to Japanese tourists; protla - snow packed around caribou meat; attla - snow that as it falls seems to create nice pictures in the air; sotla - snow sparkling with sunlight; tlun - snow sparkling with moonlight; astrila - snow sparkling with starlight; clim - snow sparkling with flashlight or headlight; tlapi - summer snow; krikaya - snow mixed with breath; ashtla - expected snow that’s wagered on (depth, size of flakes); huantla - special snow rolled into “snow reefers” and smoked; tla-na-na - snow mixed with the sound of old rock and roll from a portable radio; depptla - a small snowball, preserved in Lucite that has been handled by Johnny Depp; trinkyi - first snow of the year; tronkyin - last snow of the year; shiya - snow at dawn; katiyana - night snow; tlinro - snow vapor; nyik - snow with flakes of widely varying size; ragnitla - two snowfalls at once, creating moire patterns; akitla - snow falling on water; privtla - snow melting in the spring rain; chahatlin - snow that makes a sizzling sound as it falls on water; hootlin - snow that makes a hissing sound as the individual flakes brush against each other; geltla - snow dollars; briktla - good building snow; striktla - snow that’s no good for building; erolinyat - snow drifts containing the imprint of crazy lovers; chachat - swirling snow that drives you nuts; krotla - snow that blinds you; tlarin - snow that can be sculpted into the delicate corsages Eskimo girls pin to their parkas at prom time; motla - snow in the mouth; sotla - snow in the south; maxtla - snow that hides the whole village; tlayopi - snow drifts you fall into and die; truyi - avalanche of snow; tlapripta - snow that burns your scalp and eyelids; carpitla - snow glazed with ice; tla - ordinary snow This satirical list was originally compiled by Phil James. I cannot find a definitive citation, but one source suggests that the list first appeared in a humor column at word.com sometime before 2005. I have retained the author’s use of “Eskimo” throughout. Even though “Eskimo” has fallen out of favor in Canada, it is still preferred by native peoples in Alaska and Siberia. Click for high-res photo

100 Eskimo Words for Snow

tlapa - powder snow; tlacringit - snow that is crusted on the surface; kayi - drifting snow; tlapat - still snow; klin - remembered snow; naklin - forgotten snow; tlamo - snow that falls in large wet flakes; tlatim - snow that falls in small flakes; tlaslo - snow that falls slowly; tlapinti - snow that falls quickly; kripya - snow that has melted and refrozen; tliyel - snow that has been marked by wolves; tliyelin - snow that has been marked by Eskimos; blotla - blowing snow; pactla - snow that has been packed down; hiryla - snow in beards; wa ter - melted snow; tlayinq - snow mixed with mud; quinaya - snow mixed with husky shit; quinyaya - snow mixed with the shit of a lead dog; slimtla - snow that is crusted on top but soft underneath; kriplyana - snow that looks blue in the early morning; puntla - a mouthful of snow because you fibbed; allatla - baked snow; fritla - fried snow; gristla - deep fried snow; MacTla - snow burgers; jatla - snow between your fingers or toes, or in groin-folds; dinliltla - little balls of snow that cling to husky fur; sulitlana - green snow; mentlana - pink snow; tidtla - snow used for cleaning; ertla - snow used by Eskimo teenagers for exquisite erotic rituals; kriyantli - snow bricks; hahatla - small packages of snow given as gag gifts; semtla - partially melted snow; ontla - snow on objects; intla - snow that has drifted indoors; shlim - slush; warintla - snow used to make Eskimo daiquiris; mextla - snow used to make Eskimo Margaritas; penstla - the idea of snow; mortal - snow mounded on dead bodies; ylaipi - tomorrow’s snow; nylaipin - the snows of yesteryear; pritla - our children’s snow; nootlin - snow that doesn’t stick; rotlana - quickly accumulating snow; skriniya - snow that never reaches the ground; bluwid - snow that’s shaken down from objects in the wind; tlanid - snow that’s shaken down and then mixes with sky-falling snow; ever-tla - a spirit made from mashed fermented snow; talini - snow angels; priyakli - snow that looks like it’s falling upward; chiup - snow that makes halos; blontla - snow that’s shaken off in the mudroom; tlalman - snow sold to German tourists; tlalam - snow sold to American tourists; tlanip - snow sold to Japanese tourists; protla - snow packed around caribou meat; attla - snow that as it falls seems to create nice pictures in the air; sotla - snow sparkling with sunlight; tlun - snow sparkling with moonlight; astrila - snow sparkling with starlight; clim - snow sparkling with flashlight or headlight; tlapi - summer snow; krikaya - snow mixed with breath; ashtla - expected snow that’s wagered on (depth, size of flakes); huantla - special snow rolled into “snow reefers” and smoked; tla-na-na - snow mixed with the sound of old rock and roll from a portable radio; depptla - a small snowball, preserved in Lucite that has been handled by Johnny Depp; trinkyi - first snow of the year; tronkyin - last snow of the year; shiya - snow at dawn; katiyana - night snow; tlinro - snow vapor; nyik - snow with flakes of widely varying size; ragnitla - two snowfalls at once, creating moire patterns; akitla - snow falling on water; privtla - snow melting in the spring rain; chahatlin - snow that makes a sizzling sound as it falls on water; hootlin - snow that makes a hissing sound as the individual flakes brush against each other; geltla - snow dollars; briktla - good building snow; striktla - snow that’s no good for building; erolinyat - snow drifts containing the imprint of crazy lovers; chachat - swirling snow that drives you nuts; krotla - snow that blinds you; tlarin - snow that can be sculpted into the delicate corsages Eskimo girls pin to their parkas at prom time; motla - snow in the mouth; sotla - snow in the south; maxtla - snow that hides the whole village; tlayopi - snow drifts you fall into and die; truyi - avalanche of snow; tlapripta - snow that burns your scalp and eyelids; carpitla - snow glazed with ice; tla - ordinary snow

This satirical list was originally compiled by Phil James. I cannot find a definitive citation, but one source suggests that the list first appeared in a humor column at word.com sometime before 2005. I have retained the author’s use of “Eskimo” throughout. Even though “Eskimo” has fallen out of favor in Canada, it is still preferred by native peoples in Alaska and Siberia.