aiviqiak

Inupiaq

Etymology

From aiviq (“walrus”). Meaning "walrus talker", it is derived from the deep, hollow, resonant tone of the bird's call which native Alaskans thought was imitative of a walrus.

Noun

aiviqiak

1. pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

References

• Nelson, E. W. (1884). The Breeding Habits of the Pectoral Sandpiper (Actodromas maculata), The Auk, vol.1, no.3, p.218-221, Oxford University Press.