Canuck is a slang term for a Canadian, though its semantic nuances are manifold. A variety of theories have been postulated for the etymological origins of the term. The term Kanuck is first recorded in 1835 as an Americanism, originally referring to Dutch Canadians (which included German Canadians) or French Canadians. By the 1850s, the spelling with a "C" became predominant. Today, many Canadians and others use Canuck as a mostly affectionate term for any Canadian. Johnny Canuck is a folklore hero who was created as a political cartoon in 1869 and was later re-invented as a Second World War action hero in 1942. The Vancouver Canucks, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL), has used a version of "Johnny Canuck" as their team logos. The Canadian military has used the term colloquially for several projects: Operation Canuck, the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck and the Fleet 80 Canuck. Captain Canuck is a Canadian comic book superhero who first appeared in Captain Canuck #1 (July 1975). The series was the first successful Canadian comic book since the collapse of the nation's comic book industry following World War II.

Origin

Historically the etymology was labelled as unclear, with its most likely origins according to the 2017 Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles, 2nd edition being: According to The Etymology of Canuck by Jacob Adler with contributions from Mitford M. Mathews, the word Canuck connects back to the term kanaka, which is defined as someone indigenous to Hawaii. The term spread beginning in the 1800s however, when kanaka acquired a racist connotation, and was used to refer to Polynesians with darker skin tones negatively.

Usage and examples

Canadians use Canuck as an affectionate or merely descriptive term for their nationality. If familiar with the term, most citizens of other nations, including the United States, also use it affectionately, though there are individuals who may use it as a derogatory term.

History

Media

Sport