Russian Language Exported: BAIDARKA
The lightweight, silent boats of the Far Eastern peoples of Russia, without which summer sports would be unimaginable today.
‘Baidarka’ (English: ‘baidarka’, German: ‘Baidarka’, French: ‘baidarka’) is the Russified name for the traditional boat of the Koryaks, Chukchi, Eskimos and Aleuts. The indigenous peoples called the larger, more spacious boat ‘baidara’, while Russian travelers in the 19th century used the word ‘baidarka’ (with the diminutive suffix ‘-ka’) for the smaller version. Today, kayaking has become an official Olympic sport.