[PW] Re: Inuit for raccoon

[John P. Dyson]

Quoting Jeffrey Pike <jpike at gpl.org>:

> A patron just got an Alaska Malamute puppy with raccoon eyes and would like
> to call her the Inuit or Aleut or a related tribe's name for raccoon. I did
> some Google searches on Inuit, Aleut, and Eskimo +dictionary, but didn't
> find the word.


As Christine has indicated, the raccoon's natural range may have 
something to do with the lack of a term. Would your patron consider 
[Snow] Goggles as an appropriate name? After all, Eskimos pioneered an 
early mask with narrow eye-slits to use as protection against snow 
glare. Irigruak, I think, but you'll want to verify that.

John Dyson
Spanish and Portuguese
Indiana University