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Quiz about Native American Contribution to English

Native American Contribution to English Quiz

First Nations people assisted the explorers and pioneers who came to the Americas in many ways. One of them was to contribute new words to the language that they spoke. These loan words have found their way into the English language.

A multiple-choice quiz by Team Raised by Wolves. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
einsteinII

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
353,431

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Easy

Avg Score
9 / 10

Plays
961

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. "'I am fully persuaded of it,' said Stephen. 'Yet at breakfast this morning Mr Adams, who was also riz in Boston, stated that hominy grits cut no ice with him. I have been puzzling over his words ever since. I am acquainted with the grits, a grateful pap that might with advantage be exhibited in cases of duodenal debility, and I at once perceived that the expression was figurative. But in what does the figure consist? Is it desirable that ice should be cut? And if so, why? And what is the force of with?'

"After barely a moment's pause, Mr Evans said, 'Ah, there now, you have an Indian expression. It is a variant upon the Iroquois katno aiss' vizmi - I am unmoved, unimpressed. Yes, sir.'"

Which author wrongly described the etymology for the term "cut no ice" in "The Fortune of War"? Hint

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Patrick O'Brian

Sun Tzu

Sir Winston Churchill

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Question 2 of 10

2. What word derived from native language is used to describe a violent storm, a force of nature in itself, relived many times in North and Central America and the Caribbean? Hint

tempest

hurricane

cyclone

twister

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Question 3 of 10

3. An anorak is a heavy jacket or coat, akin to a parka, with a hood. From which native culture is this word derived? Hint

Mohawk

Mayan

Inuit

Arawak

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Question 4 of 10

4. The native peoples used a lightweight boat for travel that may have been made from birchbark or formed from a tree that was "dugout". What is the word that we commonly use for this form of transport? Hint

paddler

travois

canoe

floater

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Question 5 of 10

5. The name for a humble vegetable deriving from a Carib word and originally exported to Spain is well known. This vegetable exists in a sweet and white version and is enjoyed as a starchy addition to many dinners. What do we know this as? Hint

cucumber

tomato

lettuce

potato

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Question 6 of 10

6. The largest member of the deer family in North America likes to wade in ponds and has wide, thick antlers. Its name is an aboriginal loan word. What is the English equivalent? Hint

muskox

llama

muledeer

moose

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Question 7 of 10

7. There is a tiny animal in North America whose name derives from an aboriginal loan word. They have a stripe running down their back and little puffy cheeks. Alvin would be an example of this little squirrel. What type of animal am I describing? Hint

opossum

wolverine

chipmunk

ocelot

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Question 8 of 10

8. Whenever I think of a hot summer day or a Caribbean vacation, I envision a net slung between trees in which I am slumbering. The word for this is also a native loan word. What do we call this summer treat today? Hint

hammock

beehive

hummock

twister

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Question 9 of 10

9. Each pleasant summer day we fry up some hamburgers or shrimp or hot dogs. This culinary occasion derives from a Taino term. What is the word that I am describing? Hint

fiesta

barbecue

roast

pepper pot

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Question 10 of 10

10. There is a new rage in paddling whereby a partly enclosed craft is traditionally paddled with a double bladed paddle by a single paddler. The craft was invented by the Inuit for use in hunting seal. What is this craft known as? Hint

umiak

pontoon

jetski

kayak

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "'I am fully persuaded of it,' said Stephen. 'Yet at breakfast this morning Mr Adams, who was also riz in Boston, stated that hominy grits cut no ice with him. I have been puzzling over his words ever since. I am acquainted with the grits, a grateful pap that might with advantage be exhibited in cases of duodenal debility, and I at once perceived that the expression was figurative. But in what does the figure consist? Is it desirable that ice should be cut? And if so, why? And what is the force of with?' "After barely a moment's pause, Mr Evans said, 'Ah, there now, you have an Indian expression. It is a variant upon the Iroquois katno aiss' vizmi - I am unmoved, unimpressed. Yes, sir.'" Which author wrongly described the etymology for the term "cut no ice" in "The Fortune of War"?

Answer: Patrick O'Brian

Patrick O'Brian wrote "The Fortune of War" with the suggestion above, but the etymology of this phrase does not arise from the Iroquois language. The phrase means that the subject forms no impression on the participant. Although the etymology is incorrect, it made me seek any other words or phrases that may have crept into the English language after contact with the First Nation people.

2. What word derived from native language is used to describe a violent storm, a force of nature in itself, relived many times in North and Central America and the Caribbean?

Answer: hurricane

The word hurricane comes to the English language from Taino, an Arawak language, and translates as "storm". I have also heard Mexican tour guides describing this term as deriving from the name of a god. Indeed, Hurakan is the god of wind, storm and fire in Mayan.

3. An anorak is a heavy jacket or coat, akin to a parka, with a hood. From which native culture is this word derived?

Answer: Inuit

The Inuit word anoraq describes a long hooded coat made of seal or caribou skin which is waterproofed with fish oil and drawn over the head and fitted with drawstrings at the wrist and waist for protection from wind and water.

Answer: canoe

The term canoe is correct and derives from the Carib word kenu. Although dugouts were more common in some areas, the true birchbark canoe was a North American version. Light in weight and easily built and repaired, it could skim over the shallowest waterways. Some canoes could hold hundreds of pounds of freight.

Answer: potato

The potato was domesticated in Peru and Bolivia and was traded, presumably, to the Carib natives, where the sweet potato was found and exported by the Spanish. The word potato is derived from the Carib term batata.

6. The largest member of the deer family in North America likes to wade in ponds and has wide, thick antlers. Its name is an aboriginal loan word. What is the English equivalent?

Answer: moose

The word moose is derived from the Algonquian word moos or moosu for "he strips off". This may describe the stripping of bark from trees as they shed their antlers or in the rut. Their antlers may look ungainly but they are used very adroitly by these kings of the northern forest.

Answer: chipmunk

Alvin is a chipmunk and these spunky little creatures are a joy to watch as they scurry around and chatter and scold. They are bold and will eat right out of your hand. The term chipmunk derives from an Algonquian word meaning "red squirrel".

Answer: hammock

The hammock is my ideal for lazy living. The term is derived from a word in Taino which is hamaca or "fish net". The natives used the hammock to raise themselves off the ground while they slept to escape the threat of snakes and other pests. A hummock is a small mound.

9. Each pleasant summer day we fry up some hamburgers or shrimp or hot dogs. This culinary occasion derives from a Taino term. What is the word that I am describing?

Answer: barbecue

The barbecue is possibly derived from the Taino word "barabicu", which means sacred fire pit. I certainly would place a well-cooked hamburger in the sacred category. Other suggested origins include the Arawakan word "barbakoa", meaning a framework of sticks such as might have been used to support the cooking meat.

Answer: kayak

The kayak is the craft in question and derives from the Inukitut word qyaq or "man's boat". They were a hardy boat that protected the paddler from the elements and could be righted without disembarking, if swamped. A umiak is also an Inuit watercraft but built for more than one paddler.

Source: Author einsteinII

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