Where does the term 'Indian Summer' come from?
Where did the phrase come from? The term Indian summer reached England in the 19th century, during the heyday of the British Raj in India leading to the belief that the term referred to the Indian subcontinent. However it's claimed the term was first coined by the Native Americans, and it was used there in the late 18th century.
Is Indian Summer a politically correct term?
The origination of the term Indian Summer first appears over two-hundred years ago. ... A more generic but now (sadly) politically incorrect idiom is "Old Wives' Summer". All these expressions may ...
Is Indian Summer politically correct?
What is the politically correct term for Indian summer? A more generic but now (sadly) politically incorrect idiom is "Old Wives' Summer". All these expressions may still be heard in various parts of Britain, but chiefly in remote rural areas.
Why is an Indian summer so called?
There are different theories as to why it is called Indian summer, but the one Research Maniacs thinks is most plausible is that it comes from the early settlers. The Indians would raid farms after the harvest if the weather was good. But if autumn weather came, the Indians would leave and not raid the farms.
What does the phrase Indian summer mean?
The precise origin of “Indian Summer”is uncertain, but here is a commonly accepted definition: A warm, tranquil spell of weather in the autumn, especially after a frost or period of abnormally cold weather. The term originated in the United States and came into use in about 1778.
Why do the UK call an Indian summer?
An Indian summer is the name given to unseasonably warm weather in autumn. They have become increasingly common in recent years. Britain enjoyed hot weather last September and had Indian summers in both 2019 and 2018, with temperatures continuing to stay warm during the month.
Who coined the phrase Indian summer?
In the 1830s Indian summer began to be used figuratively, to refer to any late flowering following a period of decline. It was well enough established as a phrase by 1834 for John Greenleaf Whittier to use the term that way, when in his poem Memories he wrote of "The Indian Summer of the heart!".
What can I say instead of Indian summer?
There's a strong case to be made for badger summer, pastrami summer, or quince summer as an alternate name for Indian summer, but perhaps simple is best. Enjoy these second summer days, before the frost of fall really sets in.
What is the opposite of an Indian summer?
“Indian summer” is a term used to describe an unseasonably warm and sunny patch of weather during autumn when temperatures should have cooled down. Could it be that we are experiencing its opposite — “Indian Winter” — a period of unseasonably chilly weather during spring?!
Is Indian summer a derogatory term?
A much darker theory says it was a derogatory term for Native Americans. It meant "false summer," similar to the term "Indian giver" which is also considered racist.
Why is it called Indian giving?
Usage. The phrase was first noted in 1765 by Thomas Hutchinson, who characterized an Indian gift as "a present for which an equivalent return is expected," which suggests that the phrase originally referred to a simple exchange of gifts.
Why is it called Indian giver?
Indian giver derives from the alleged practise of American Indians of taking back gifts from white settlers. It is more likely that the settlers wrongly interpreted the Indians' loans to them as gifts. This term, which is certainly American, may have been coined to denigrate of the native race.
Why is it called Indian giving?
Usage. The phrase was first noted in 1765 by Thomas Hutchinson, who characterized an Indian gift as "a present for which an equivalent return is expected," which suggests that the phrase originally referred to a simple exchange of gifts.
What's an Indian giver mean?
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an "Indian giver" as "a person who gives something to another and then takes it back or expects an equivalent in return." The term, the dictionary notes in italics, is "sometimes offensive."
Does Indian summer have anything to do India?
What is the meaning and origin of 'Indian summer'? The Indian in the expression has nothing to do with people from our country. It refers to the 'Red Indians' in America — 'Native Americans' as they are called now.
Does San Francisco have an Indian summer?
But the term may carry bad connotations depending on who you ask. The National Weather Service defines an "Indian summer" as any spell of warm, quiet, hazy weather that may occur in October or even November. For San Francisco, it typically falls in the middle of October.
Why Is it Called an “Indian Summer”?
In parts of Europe, a similar phenomenon is known as an “Old Wives’ Summer” or “St. Martin’s Summer,” but how did the term “Indian summer” come to be? There are many theories, but none is confirmed.
What is Indian summer?
A moving, cool, shallow polar air mass is converting into a deep, warm, stagnant anticyclone (high pressure) system, which has the effect ...
Why do Native Americans use November?
November is the time to get one's last harvest in before winter truly shows its head, so a short period of warm weather would be of note around this time.
Is Indian summer hazy?
As well as being warm, the atmosphere during Indian summer is hazy or smoky, there is no wind, the barometer is standing high, and the nights are clear and chilly.
Where did the phrase "Indian Summer" come from?
What's the origin of the phrase 'Indian summer'? The origin of other 'Indian' phrases, like Indian giver, Indian sign, are well-known as referring to North American Indians - who prefer to be called Native Americans or, in Canada, First Nations.
When did the term "Indian Summer" come into use?
The term Indian summer reached England in the 19th century, during the heyday of the British Raj in India. This led to the mistaken belief that the term referred to the Indian subcontinent. In fact, the Indians in question were probably the Native Americans. That term began use in the US in the late 18th century.
What does Indian summer mean?
What's the meaning of the phrase 'Indian summer'? An unseasonably warm, dry and calm weather, usually following a period of colder weather or frost in the late Autumn (or in the Southern hemisphere, where the term is less common, the late Spring).
What is the name of the Indian summer?
The English already had names for the phenomenon - St. Luke’s Summer, St. Martin’s Summer or All-Hallown Summer and the French also referred to l'été de la Saint-Martin.
When was Indian summer first used?
There are many references to the term in American literature in the following hundred years or so. In the 1830s Indian summer began to be used figuratively, to refer to any late flowering following a period of decline. It was well enough established as a phrase by 1834 for John Greenleaf Whittier to use the term that way, when in his poem Memories he wrote of "The Indian Summer of the heart!". Thomas De Quincey, republished in Bentley's Works of Thomas De Quincey, 1855, wrote:
Who wrote the first Indian summer?
Indian summer is first recorded in Letters From an American Farmer, a 1778 work by the French-American soldier turned farmer Michel-Guillaume-Jean de Crèvecoeur:
Is Indian a synonym for exotic?
It could also be the case that, when using the term 'Indian' the early users of the expression weren't referring to any particular race of people at all. It may be that they were just using 'Indian' as a synonym for exotic - like we might do with ' it's all Greek to me ' or ' double Dutch '.
Where does the phrase Indian summer come from?
While the exact origins of the phrase are not known, the Met Office says several writers have speculated it may have referred to hazy autumn conditions that allowed Native American Indians to continue hunting — especially in October and November.
What makes an Indian summer?
Autumn heatwaves before the frost of fall really sets in are often referred to as Indian summers, but what exactly makes an Indian summer? Typically, an Indian summer is a period of abnormally warm weather following the freeze of autumn.
When can Indian summers come?
According to the BBC, some people claim that an Indian summer cannot come until after the first damaging frost of autumn, or after a severely cold episode sometimes known as a "Squaw Winter".
When was the second summer day first used?
First used in the eastern United States, these second summer days were first recorded in a letter written by Frenchman John de Crevecoeur dated 17th January 1778. In his letter, he said: "Sometimes the rain is followed by an interval of calm and warm which is called the Indian summer."
When did the term "Indian Summer" come into existence?
The term Indian summer reached England in the 19th century, during the heyday of the British Raj in India leading to the belief that the term referred to the Indian subcontinent.
What is Indian summer?
An 'Indian Summer' means a period of unseasonably warm, dry and calm weather which can make for an Autumnal heatwave.
When was the word "farmer" first used?
The first reported use of the word was recorded in Letters from an American Farmer in 1778 by American soldier turned farmer J. H. St. John de Crèvecoeur.
Is the UK due an Indian Summer?
Following Storms Ellen and Francis, which hit the UK with high winds and rain, the weather has been predicted to make a complete U-turn over the next few days.
What is Indian summer?
The Indian summer is a phenomenon that’s more common in the North and West territories of North America. These territories have long been settled by American Indians hence, Europeans named it Indian summer. However, even though there are no chronological or other inconsistencies that can debunk this theory, there is also not much evidence for its credibility either.
When was the term "Indian war" first used?
The only problem is that the term was first used in 1778, some 20 or so years before Indian raids became commonplace.
Why did the Indians quit the war in the fall?
Fighting a war in summertimes made much more sense as it was easier to attack during mild weather conditions. So they quit in the fall because it got cold. However, in November, often around the period mentioned above, for a week or two it’ll become hot and hazy and the Indians gave it another go; they attacked the settlers for one more time hence the origin of the term Indian summer. For this explanation, there is reference in the 1824 book by Joseph Doddridge Notes on the Indian Wars in West Virginia. The only problem is that the term was first used in 1778, some 20 or so years before Indian raids became commonplace.
Who wrote the letter from an American farmer?
This is mentioned in the Letters from an American Farmer, a book published in 1778 by the French-American farmer Michel-Guillaume Jean de Grevecoeur. The truth is that nobody can know for certain the exact origins of the term and chances are we will never know.
How long has Indian summer been around?
Many of us in the meteorological community have used the term Indian summer for decades. It's been around for more than a century.
What is Indian summer?
Indian summer A period, in mid- or late autumn, of abnormally warm weather, generally clear skies, sunny but hazy days, and cool nights. In New England, at least one killing frost and preferably a substantial period of normally cool weather must precede this warm spell in order for it to be considered a true "Indian summer.".
Why was the Indian summer so hazy?
The haziness of the Indian Summer weather was caused by prairie fires deliberately set by Native American tribes.
Who wrote the first Indian summer?
Indian summer is first recorded in Letters From an American Farmer, a 1778 work by the French-American soldier turned farmer J. H. St. John de Crèvecoeur (a.k.a. Michel-Guillaume-Jean de Crèvecoeur): There are many references to the term in American literature in the following hundred years or so.
Is "old wives summer" politically incorrect?
A more generic but now (sadly) politically incorrect idiom is "Old Wives' Summer". All these expressions may still be heard in various parts of Britain, but chiefly in remote rural areas. Though they are naturally much less common than they were 60 or 70 years ago.
What is the Indian summer?
Although the exact origins of the term are uncertain, it is thought to have been based on the warm and hazy conditions in autumn when native American Indians chose to hunt.
When was the word "warm weather" first used?
Etymonline has the first usage dated as 1778. "spell of warm weather after the first frost," first recorded 1778, American English, perhaps so called because it was first noted in regions inhabited by Indians, or because the Indians first described it to the Europeans. No evidence connects it with the color of fall leaves or a season ...
Why is the UK hot in autumn?
A hot spell in the autumn can arise when the remnants of old Atlantic Hurricanes brings warmth from the tropics in the direction of the UK. The remnants of the hurricane won't necessarily affect the UK directly, but will introduce higher temperatures.
When was etymonline first used?
Etymonlinehas the first usage dated as 1778.
Who was the author of the theory that ships loaded up their cargo the most during the Indian summer?
Finally, another hypothesis, not at all in the American Indian "camp" of theories, was put forward by an author by the name of H. E. Ware, who noted that ships at that time traversing the Indian Ocean loaded up their cargo the most during the "Indian Summer", or fair weather season.
Is Indian Summer offensive?
In reality, Indian Summerhas a variety of different meanings and none of them appear to be offensive. I wouldn't concern myself too much about it.
