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baidarka
[< Russian, dim. of baidara; see baidar]
DCHP-1 (pre-1967)
Spelling variants:bidarka
Although nowadays confined largely to the Alaska region, this term seems to have been used first in English by explorers and fur traders in contact with the Russian traders in northern B.C., the Yukon , and Alaska.
Entry from the DCHP-1 (pre-1967)
This entry may contain outdated or offensive information, terms, and examples.
n.
a kayaklike skin boat having two, or occasionally three, cockpits.
See: baidar
Quotations
1834
The youth took his departure . . . soon after a bidarka approached . . . paddled by two men . . . the officer sitting in the middle seat.
1947
The baidarka was long, narrow, and pointed at each end, varying in length from 12 to 20 feet depending on the number of hatches. The width was 20 to 24 inches and the depth only 20 inches, so that the craft could be propelled swiftly in shallow water.