Back to all words

Nunatak

3 stages from Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) to English.

Today it means an isolated peak or ridge of rock that protrudes above the surface of a glacier or ice sheet

Where does the word "nunatak" come from? It comes from Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) nunataq, passing through Danish before entering English (1870s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
nunataq
Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) · pre-1800s
"a rocky peak surrounded by ice"
combined 'nuna' (land) with a suffix meaning 'thing pertaining to'
2
Stage 2 of 3
nunatak
Danish · 1800s
"a rock outcrop protruding through a glacier or ice field"
adopted through Danish scientific and colonial administration of Greenland
3
Stage 3 of 3
nunatak
English · 1870s
"an isolated peak of rock protruding above a surrounding glacier or ice sheet"
borrowed into English geological and glaciological terminology
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom