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Meaning of 'Canuck' - Definitions and likely origins of the Canadian word

Have you ever wondered about the word "Canuck"? If you're an avid fan of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, you'll know that a Canadian character, Robin Scherbatsky (played by Cobie Smulders) is a die-hard fan of the Vancouver Canucks which is a professional ice hockey team. Just as "Yankee" is the slang term for someone of American or New England origin, "Canuck" is the slang term used for people of Canadian origin.

I did a little digging around on the Internet and found that in some cases, the use of the word "Canuck" can be considered offensive, especially when used by a non-Canadian or more specifically, an American.
However, the origin of this word is unclear because there are many different theories about it and none of them converge. Your guess is as good as mine… you may be able to make an educated guess after reading this!

The word has been attributed by different dictionaries to various words. In the Huron-Iroquois language, "Canada" apparently means "a collection of lodges or huts" and the word "Canuck" was derived from "kanuscha", a resident of such huts.

"Canuck" is also thought to have been derived from the Irish surname Connaught, which French Canadians used as a nickname for Irish immigrants in Canada.

A third theory involves the Hawaiian word kanaka meaning 'man'.

A Spanish word "canada" meaning a glen or dale between two mountains is the least likely theory.

The simplest explanation of all is that it comes from the word "Canada" itself.

Johnny Canuck is a personification of Canada, like Uncle Sam is for the United States of America. The ice hockey team the Vancouver Canucks represents the word's usage in sports.

The earliest recorded use of the term Canuck was in 1835-1839. The term was first used in lumber camps in Maine to refer to French Canadian loggers working in the Maine woods to differentiate between them and the locals. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1970) suggests it was "possibly a corruption of Connaught, a name originally applied by the French Canadians to the Irish immigrants."

An excerpt from 'Success With Words: A North American Guide to the English Language', pg. 118-119:

Although the forms Canack, Cannacker, Canuck, Canuk, Conuck, Kanuck, Kanuk and K'nuck have all been known from time to time, only Canuck is now in use.

MEANINGS AND USAGE

(1) = 'any Canadian.' Used by Canadians to Canadians about Canadians, Canuck- is informal but is not felt to be derogatory. Several American dictionaries caution their readers that the word may be offensive if used by non-Canadians.

(2) = 'a French Canadian.' In this sense the word would probably be interpreted as a derogatory usage.

(3) = 'Canadian French.' In this sense the word would almost certainly be felt to be derogatory.

(4) = 'a Canadian horse or pony.' This sense of the word is now obsolete.

(5) = 'anything made in Canada.' The word is neutral in this sense, but this use is rare.

(6) = Jack Canuck, Johnny Canuck = 'a Canadian soldier.' The usage level of this expression is approximately that of GI Joe or Tommy Atkins.

(7) = 'an imaginary figure personifying Canada or Canadians, or both.' In this sense the word applies to all Canadians and seems to have overtones of a possibly defiant pride.

Of course, a verified origin remains elusive. However, each of the above theories lead to some amount of demystification as to the origin of the word "Canuck". Until then, if you're not Canadian, beware of using the word in Canada to address a local. You may think you're being friendly, but it may not go down too well with the Canadians!

 

About the Author

Why not visit Canada itself and find out more about the origins of the word Canuck from the locals themselves? I have planned a trip to Canada and chosen to take a flight to Toronto. There are lots of options available to get cheap flights to Edmonton too. Flight Network was a great source of cheap flights options and discounted tickets.

How do you copyright things in england?

hi i was wondering how to get original work copyrighted. im talking about a book and artworks mostly. however i live in england and im not sure if its the same in america or not. also do you have to pay and if so how much?

Hi,

Copyright is automatic if you create something, then you are the owner of the copyright. However, there are various sites that offer registration of copyright. Here's what the governement has to say about it.

Copyright Registers
There is no official copyright register because copyright is automatic. There are certain steps you can take to protect your rights, but you do not have to register anywhere.

There are, however, a number of companies that offer unofficial copyright registers. You should think very carefully whether this is a useful service for you before choosing this route.

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/copy/c-claim/c-register.htm

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Here is one of the various sites that offer copyright registration:

http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/protect/

This site is pretty comprehensive and has lots of sections, on copyright law etc, so worth perusing. It offers copyright for artworksand books. Here is what it says about prices:

Online registration fees
The current charges for online registration are £35.00 for 5 years or £60.00 for 10 years per work. This covers uploads of up to 10MB per work registered. Uploads over 10MB are also subject to a charge of 2p per additional MB or part thereof.

Postal registration fees
The current charges for postal applications are £40.00 for 5 years or £70.00 for 10 years per work.

Formats that involve additional processing will also incur an additional fee to cover the extra time involved in processing these types of works. Please see our registration format pages for details on all registration formats.
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However, I would carefully check out the government guidleines and their information on the crown copyright web site:

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/copy.htm

and consider whether it is necessary to register or not. The gov's final word is:

Note that neither registration nor sending a copy of the work to yourself show that you were the creator of the work. Keeping copies of all your drafts and any other material that shows your connection with the particular copyright material as you develop it could, however, be useful evidence if you ever have to prove that you are the author.

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