Apparently the ANCL here at UAF frequently gets requests for eskimo dog names, so they compiled a short list of suggested names. I bet there's a whole lot of people out there calling their dog "Are-luke" thinking they got an authentic eskimo dog name...
Anyhow, the list caught my eye because of one entry in the Yup'ik section: "Negiliq." For those who don't know, it's a parka ruff (Nacaq is the hood, or mostly a hat these days). That sounds nice, right up to the point you think parka ruffs are often made out of wolf. Yes, it's a lot like naming a horse "Glue." Someone was having a joke on people when they added that one. :)
4 comments:
I had to look up suupaq before I got that part of the joke. Down here, calling a dog by a name with such a double message would be merely affectionate, it isn't unusual for people to talk about how useless their beloved dogs are. Up there, perhaps, a dog would take that sort of veiled threat more seriously! :)
I'm really curious where you found the definition online. Not many yugcetun stuff on the internet...
There was this funny movie from a while back called "Young Frankenstine." One of the running jokes was that the mistress of the house was named "Glue," and every time they said her name, the horses winneyed. V. funny movie, for many other reasons too!
I googled "suupaq definition," and found the site http://quizlet.com/491364/yupik-chapter-3-vocab-flash-cards/. I saw Young Frankenstine when I was much younger but don't remember much about it (or about those years in general). I'll have to put it on my Netflix queue.
"Suupaq" would be a good name for a dog too. Dog tastes a lot like duck and makes a delicious broth for making dumplings.
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