Igloo

thumb|upright=1.35|Community of igluit (Illustration from [[Charles Francis Hall's Arctic Researches and Life Among the Esquimaux, 1865)]]

An igloo (Inuit languages: or , Inuktitut syllabics ; plural: ), also known as a snow house or snow hut, is a type of shelter built of suitable snow.

Although igloos are often associated with all Inuit, they were traditionally used only by the people of Canada's Central Arctic and the Qaanaaq area of Greenland. Other Inuit tended to use snow to insulate their houses, which were constructed from whalebone and hides.

Snow is used because the air pockets trapped in it make it an insulator. Known as the igloo effect, on the outside, temperatures may be as low as , but on the inside, the temperature may range from when warmed by body heat alone.

Nomenclature

thumb|[[Inuit building an igloo (1924)]]

In the Inuit languages, the word (plural ) can be used for a house or home built of any material. Outside Inuit culture, however, igloo refers exclusively to shelters constructed from blocks of compacted snow, generally in the form of a dome.

Several Inuit language dialects throughout the Canadian Arctic (Sallirmiutun (Siglitun), Inuinnaqtun, Natsilingmiutut, Kivalliq, North Baffin) use for all buildings, including snowhouses, and it is the term used by the government of Nunavut. An exception to this is the dialect used in the Igloolik region of Nunavut. is used for other buildings, while (plural , Inuktitut syllabics: ) is specifically used for a snowhouse.

Types

thumb|Interior of an igloo (early 1900s)

There are three traditional types of igloos. Each has a different size from small to large and is used for a different purpose.

Intermediate-sized igloos were for semi-permanent, family dwelling. This was usually a single room dwelling that housed one or two families. Often there were several of these in a small area, which formed an Inuit village.

The largest-sized igloos were normally built in groups of two. One of the buildings was a temporary structure built for special occasions, while the other one was built nearby for living. These large igloos could have up to five rooms and house 20 people. A large igloo could be constructed from several smaller igloos attached by their tunnels, giving common access to the outside. These large igloos were used to hold community feasts and traditional dances.

The individual snow bricks are cut out of the ground with saws and machete-like blades. They are originally cut out in a four-sided shape, and later into five- or six-sided shapes to increase structural interlocking, similar to the stones used in the architecture of the Inca Empire.

Igloos gradually become shorter with time due to the compressive creep of the snow. by making a large flame with a (, stone lamp), briefly making the interior very hot, which causes the walls to melt slightly and settle. Body heat is also adequate, although slower. This melting and refreezing builds up a layer of ice that contributes to the strength of the igloo.

File:Igloo see-through sideview diagram.svg|An igloo side view diagram; opening to the right, the optional window may be composed of a sheet of freshwater ice

File:Igloo spirale.svg|An igloo's snowbrick laying method

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The sleeping platform is a raised area. With warmer air rising and cooler air settling, the entrance area acts as a cold trap whereas the sleeping area will hold whatever heat is generated by a stove, lamp, body heat, or other device. The Central Inuit, especially those around the Davis Strait, lined the living area with skin, which could increase the temperature within from around to .<gallery class="center" caption="Igloos" widths="220px" heights="155px">

File:Igloo building in Sarek.png|Process of building an igloo with snowbrick method in mid-way

File:igloo.jpg|A nearly complete, medium-sized igloo, with excavation under the door and the exterior unfinished

File:Igloo interior.JPG|Interior of an igloo, facing the passageway leading to the entrance

Nomenclature

Types

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links