umiak

/ˈü-mē-ˌak/ (ame, mw)

umiak — noun

1. a traditional open boat used by Arctic Indigenous peoples, built by stretching w

1.名詞
釋義

a traditional open boat used by Arctic Indigenous peoples, built by stretching waterproof animal skins over a light wooden frame so that it can carry several people and their supplies for travelling or hunting on the sea

例句

The hunter's family loaded the umiak with seal meat and gear before the ice broke.

collocation: load [the umiak] with [goods]

Two elders showed the young men how to repair the umiak's torn skin cover.

collocation: repair the umiak's [part]

同義詞
  • kayak

    also a skin-on-frame Arctic boat, but a kayak is decked over and seats one or two people, whereas an umiak is open and much larger

用法筆記

This word is a cultural loanword from Inupiaq (Inuit). It appears mainly in writing about Arctic Indigenous history, traditional crafts, and ethnographic museum displays. A kayak is a smaller closed-deck boat for one or two people; an umiak is open-topped and much larger.

常見錯誤

❌They crossed the river in a small kayak with the whole family and their tent.
✅They crossed the river in an umiak with the whole family and their tent.
💡A kayak is a narrow closed-deck boat for one or two people; an umiak is large and open, built to carry many passengers and heavy loads.