Mukluk
/ˈmʌk.lʌk/noun
A soft, bootlike winter shoe, traditionally made of sealskin or other fur, worn in Arctic regions.
Did you know?Mukluk is an Inuit loanword that entered English through contact with Arctic peoples, preserving a piece of Indigenous technology and survival knowledge in the everyday vocabulary of winter gear.
Etymological Timeline
Inuktitut / Inuit languages
Inuit
maklak / mukluk
“A fur or skin boot used for warmth and travel in Arctic conditions”
19th Century
English
mukluk
“Borrowed into English as a term for a traditional Arctic boot”
20th Century
English
mukluk
“Used more broadly for a soft, insulated winter boot, often in North American English”
Modern English
English
mukluk
“A warm boot, especially one styled after traditional Inuit footwear”