The term AK ONCE is composed of two words, ESK and NEAR. ESK is a three-letter word meaning 'ESKIMO' and NEAR is a four-letter word meaning 'close by'. Eskimos are the indigenous people of the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. They have traditionally relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering for their subsistence. The term AK ONCE can be interpreted to mean that something is close to an ESKIMO, or NEAR an ESKIMO.