Qulliqs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A traditional oil lamp used by the Inuit for illumination and heating, often fashioned from stone or metal
2. A small, portable heating device made of stone or metal that burns seal oil, providing light and warmth in Arctic environments
3. An essential cultural artifact for the Inuit, serving as both a source of light and warmth during long, dark winters in the Arctic regions

Etymology: "Qulliqs" is simply the plural of "qulliq," the traditional lamp of the Inuit peoples of the Canadian Arctic. The singular comes from Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, where it is written ᖁᓪᓕᖅ (qolliq), and it passed into English in that form, with the Latin-alphabet spelling "qulliq" and the English plural "-s" added to it. The lamp itself is a shallow stone or soapstone bowl filled with animal fat, usually seal oil, with a wick made of moss or similar material laid along one edge. Because the qulliq was the household's source of heat for warmth and cooking as well as light, the name has come to stand for a whole way of living in the Arctic, not just a piece of lighting equipment.