Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#204611 02/12/12 03:05 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Jackie Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Today an article in our newspaper used the word littoral (amazing, innit?) which I had to look up yet again. It means relating to or along the coast.
That put me in mind of the word a friend taught me, which I have actually remembered: riparian, which, if I got it right, means along a river or riverbank.

Are there other little-known words for along the edges of water?

Jackie #204612 02/12/12 03:40 AM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
I know this doesn't answer your question, Jackie, but I would not have considered them "little-known," since I learned them a couple of centuries ago in junior high general science class. True, I had them reinforced in college, and in reading since, but have always considered them standard fare, certainly in environmental and geographical contexts. I guess it's time for me to realize that one person's commonplace is another's very odd, indeed.

Jackie #204614 02/12/12 12:50 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Limnology. As in that old rock and roll song from back in the day:

Don' know much marine biology,
Or hardly any limnology.
Don' know much about the Sanskrit I took,
Never opened my astrophysics book.
All I know about is x, y, z,
and all the trouble that you caused me,
and what a wonderful world it could be.

Faldage #204640 02/13/12 04:28 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Jackie Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Faldage: HA!

And Peter, I shall now place you in the same category as Ms. know-it-all Candy! laugh

Jackie #204645 02/13/12 01:39 PM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
awesome....our own little category.....Peter, you must design us a flag wink

Candy #204652 02/13/12 09:43 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
Yes, yes! Aflag bearing your own crest -Field Azure with Cushion sable surmounted by Encyclopedia Or : Supported Lexicon Dexter, Thesaurus Sinister, with motto under, "IQ CLXI"


I'm immortal until proven otherwise
Faldage #204658 02/14/12 01:35 PM
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 19
H
stranger
Offline
stranger
H
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 19
Originally Posted By: Faldage


Don' know much marine biology,
Or hardly any limnology.
Don' know much about the Sanskrit I took,
Never opened my astrophysics book.
All I know about is x, y, z,
and all the trouble that you caused me,
and what a wonderful world it could be.

When I heard the original words to this song so many years ago I mistook the line, ""...French I took" for "fish-eyed look." This leads me to fishy terms such as "anadromous" and "catadromous."
Not what Jackie wanted, but since fish live in water it's related. Well, kind of... And there's "palustrine."

Last edited by HalAl; 02/14/12 01:58 PM.
HalAl #204659 02/14/12 03:07 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,075
And Estuarine - for anything to do with estuaries.


I'm immortal until proven otherwise
HalAl #204670 02/15/12 01:40 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Jackie Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Hal, will you please tell me what all 3 of those words mean? That first one puts me in mind of Andromeda, but I don't s'pose they're related.

Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
Originally Posted By: Rhubarb Commando
Yes, yes! Aflag bearing your own crest -Field Azure with Cushion sable surmounted by Encyclopedia Or : Supported Lexicon Dexter, Thesaurus Sinister, with motto under, "IQ CLXI"


That would be something laugh

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 302 guests, and 2 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5