Canuck
[ kuh-nuhk ]
/ kəˈnʌk /
noun Slang: Sometimes Offensive.
a term used to refer to a Canadian, especially a French Canadian.
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Origin of Canuck
1825–35; perhaps ultimately to be identified with kanaka Hawaiian, South Sea islander (< Hawaiian; see kanaka), if the word once identified both French Canadians and such islanders, who both were employed in the Pacific Northwest fur trade; later reanalyzed as Can(adian) + a suffix
Usage note
The term Canuck is perceived as insulting when used by non-Canadians or when referring specifically to French Canadians. But among Canadians, it is sometimes used as a neutral nickname or term of self-reference.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Canuck
/ (kəˈnʌk) /
noun US and Canadian informal
- a Canadian
- (formerly) esp a French Canadian
Word Origin for Canuck
C19: of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Canuck
1835, perhaps a cross between Canada and Chinook, the native people in the Columbia River region. In U.S., often but not always derogatory. As an adjective from 1853.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper