english snow word jonathan david bobaljik post message vol list discuss various yup ik word snow contribute anthony woodbury sake comparison list english word snow snowlike thing useful whether each english word means primarily snow whether snow sense derive figurative otherwise secondary consult various edition oxford english dictionary result follow acceptable case snow english word respectable pedigree mean primarily snow sleet eskimo term correspond slush avalanche word seem refer snow avalanch begin blizzard first edition oed modern word apply s nowsquall word become general american newspaper during severe winter accord milwaukee republican ff march apply northern vindicator esthersville iowa between apparently colloquial west much earlier latest edition oed citation b doubtful case cornice really architectural term mean crown build refer type snow formation merely figurative firn certainly rare specialize word oed mark naturalize synonym n ev e mark same accept neither drift mean s nowdrift word attest c castel quitter e pan snau drif t clearly too many relate senses offcourse movement boat gist someone drift relate drive compare bobaljik s discussion yup ik natquik d rift snow flurry word means primarily gust s quall washington irving cite talk flurry snow case flurry rain bird conclusion primarily snow word sinkhole bobaljik reject muruaneq s oft deep snow offer sinkhole roughly comparable presumably unacceptable sinkhole oed understand sinkhole depression liquid collect especially grind anything snow per se c special case frost leave frost english list since freeze dew ice snow omit rime hoarfrost hoar figurative old age accordingly urge word frost omit eskimo list d conclusion count english word whose primary meaning snow form snow bobaljik allow exclusively snowrelate simple root yup ik exclude frost explain above specialist english etymology experience oed is muruaneq s oft deep snow really purely snow word bobaljik eskimo language yup ik snowword record detail david prager branner yuen ren society asian ll do university washington seattle wa charmius u washington edu 