why do people call Canadians canucks?

Answer 1

Canuck began as the Hawaiian word KANAKA which represented a south sea islander. It seems that French Canadians and these islanders were both employed in the Pacific Northwest fur trade and the term was used to describe them. The theory is that the word evolved, taking "CAN" from "Canadian" and adding it to "AKA" to form CANAK (CANUCK).

Answer 2

Why Are Canadians Called Canucks

Answer 3

The term Canuck is first recorded approximately 1835 as an Americanism, initially referring especially to a French Canadian. This grew to become into in all possibility the unique meaning, nonetheless in Canada and different international locations, Canuck now extra in lots of cases refers to any Canadian

Answer 4

Check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canuck

"Canuck" is a slang term for "Canadian" in Canadian English and in American English.

History
The term was coined in the 19th century, although its etymology is unclear. Possibilities include:

kanata1 "village" (See Canada)
Canada + -uc (Algonquian noun suffix)
Canada + -inuk (Inuit for "man")
Connaught, an obscure term for Irish-French-Canadians.
Cann-uck, a small yellow French-Canadian bird, much like Woodstock from the Peanuts comic strip

Meaning

The Random House Dictionary notes that: "The term Canuck is first recorded about 1835 as an Americanism, originally referring specifically to a French Canadian. This was probably the original meaning, though in Canada and other countries, Canuck now more often refers to any Canadian." [1]

Answer 5

The term "CANUCK" is primarily used by Canadians that call themselves Canucks.It goes back to when the Vancouver Canucks hockey team started using the term. Initially they tried using Vancouver Canadians but was changed later to Canucks.

Answer 6

Actually:
Very few people outside of Canada call Canadians "Canucks".
As for why - I do not know
-but-
being called a Canuck is in no way derogatory. Most of us love being Canucks!

Answer 7

History
The term was coined in the 19th century, although its etymology is unclear. Possibilities include:

kanata1 "village" (See Canada)
Canada + -uc (Algonquian noun suffix)
Canada + -inuk (Inuit for "man")
Connaught, an obscure term for Irish-French-Canadians.
Cann-uck, a small yellow French-Canadian bird, much like Woodstock from the Peanuts comic strip.
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Meaning
The Random House Dictionary notes that: "The term Canuck is first recorded about 1835 as an Americanism, originally referring specifically to a French Canadian. This was probably the original meaning, though in Canada and other countries, Canuck now more often refers to any Canadian." [1]

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Usage and Examples
The use of "Canuck" by Canadians themselves is usually affectionate or patriotic.

The history and use of the term include:

The Vancouver Canucks hockey team
The Crazy Canucks, a group of Canadian alpine ski racers who dominated the World Cup circuit in the '70s.
Johnny Canuck, a personification of Canada who appeared in early political cartoons of the 1860s resisting Uncle Sam's bullying. Johnny Canuck was revived in 1942 by Leo Bachle to defend Canada against the Nazis.
In 1975 in comics by Richard Comely, Captain Canuck is a super-agent for Canadians' security, with Redcoat and Kebec being his sidekicks. (Kebec is claimed to be unrelated to Capitaine Kébec of a French-Canadian comic published two years earlier.) Captain Canuck had enhanced strength and endurance thanks to being bathed in alien rays during a camping trip. The captain was reintroduced in the mid-1990s, and again in 2004.
Operation Canuck was the designated name of a British SAS raid led by a Canadian captain, Buck McDonald in January 1945.
"The Dark Canuck" is a song on The Tragically Hip's album In Violet Light.
In 1995, Canada Post released 45-cent postage stamps depicting Johnny Canuck and Captain Canuck.
"Canuck" is a nickname for the Curtiss JN4 and Avro CF-100 aircraft.
One of the first uses of "Canuck" — in the form of "Kanuk" — specifically referred to Dutch Canadians as well as the French.[citation needed]
"Canuck" also has the derived meanings of a Canadian pony (rare) and a French-Canadian patois2 (very rare).
Team Canuck is a small-sized team at RoboCup.
The use of "Canuck" parallels that of some other potentially offensive nicknames, that is, when used by the people it names — Canadians in this case — it is usually acceptable. But when used by an outsider — in this case particularly American strangers — it can be easily misinterpreted and deemed as insulting one's heritage. Although it is not as severe as most ethnic slurs, some consider it one.[citation needed]

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External links
Canuck Defined
Canuck Unlimited Canadians airplane crews who operated in Southeast Asia during World War II
Johnny Canuck: with a stamp illustration
Captain Canuck: with a stamp illustration
Official descriptions from Canada Post
The Word Detective
The National Superhero in Canadian Comic-Book Art
ECanuck Atlantic Canadian Web Portal / Community
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References
Random House Dictionary
The Oxford Companion To The English Language
Oxford English Dictionary
Unkind Words : Ethnic Labeling from Redskin to WASP - Irving Lewis Allen ISBN 0-89789-217-8
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See also
Yankee, a nickname for "an American".
Soviet Canuckistan, a derogatory nickname for Canada

Answer 8

I don't know where it came from but it isn't derogatory, my British family refers to us as Canucks very affectionately.

Answer 9

I call one person this. I know at one time it was a derogatory thing, but it's not like this person is going to hunt me down and strangle me. Plus, Iheard it on Wayne's World

Answer 10

You would like another name perhaps? I lived near the border and I haven't heard that name before and I am sure most people really don't care...many of the ethnic names have slipped into dis-use. Shall I send a list of new appelations?