annoraaq

Anorak comes from Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) annoraaq, a waterproof outer garment made from gut membrane or sealskin, designed to keep kayakers alive in Arctic waters. The word is related to Inuktitut anoraq (wind) — a jacket named for what it defends against.

The garment was a marvel of Arctic engineering: lightweight, waterproof, and sewn with sinew in stitches so tight they repelled water. The hood could be tied around the face and the hem sealed around the kayak cockpit, making paddler and boat a single watertight unit.

European explorers and whalers adopted the garment and the word. By the 1920s, 'anorak' meant any hooded weatherproof jacket in British English. Mass production turned it into standard outdoor wear.

Then came the insult. In 1980s British slang, 'anorak' began meaning a person obsessively interested in niche subjects — trainspotters, plane-spotters, stamp collectors. The connection was the unfashionable jacket these hobbyists wore while standing in the rain pursuing their passions. An Arctic survival word became a synonym for uncool enthusiasm.