parka

Where does the word "parka" come from? It comes from Nenets parka, passing through Russian before entering English (1800s-1900s).

Parka’s story begins in Nenets: parka meant “an animal-skin coat.” An animal-skin coat worn by Siberian Arctic peoples. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Russian as parka. From Nenets, a Samoyedic language of Arctic Russia. It reached English by 1800s-1900s as parka. Aleut and Yupik skin parkas were widely copied by Arctic explorers. Today, parka means a warm, hooded winter coat, often lined with fur or fleece.

1. Stage 1 · Nenets · ancient parka "an animal-skin coat", an animal-skin coat worn by Siberian Arctic peoples.
2. Stage 2 · Russian · medieval parka "a warm fur coat", from Nenets, a Samoyedic language of Arctic Russia.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s-1900s parka "a warm, hooded winter coat", Aleut and Yupik skin parkas were widely copied by Arctic explorers.