Samoyedic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to a branch of the Uralic language family primarily spoken by the Samoyedic peoples of northern Siberia
2. Pertaining to the indigenous peoples of the Siberian region who speak the Samoyedic languages
3. Describing the languages and cultures associated with the Samoyedic ethnic groups in Russia and neighboring areas

Etymology: "Samoyed" is an English word borrowed from Russian "Samoyed," which was itself applied to the Nenets and related peoples of the Arctic north. The name's ultimate source is a Russian term that once carried a derogatory sense, and the English word "Samoyed" was used for these peoples before the adjective was formed from it. The Russian name is commonly rendered as "self-eater," though that explanation is a folk etymology and should not be taken as established fact. "Samoyedic" is a plain formation: the noun "Samoyed" plus the suffix "-ic," which English uses to make adjectives meaning "relating to" or "characteristic of" a people or place. The suffix itself traces back through Old French "-ique" to Latin "-icus" and ultimately to Greek "-ikos," so the ending has been part of English for centuries, while "Samoyedic" describes the languages and cultures of these groups.

Synonyms: Samoyed, Uralic, Finno-Ugric