Let Me Count The Ways to Say Rain
As the umpteenth storm wends its way to us across the Atlantic, and has become strong enough to be named Hugo, a warm front ahead of it has returned the grey drizzle to these shores. After a couple of sunny, if not warm, days, we are back to normal.
How many synonyms are there for drizzle in English? Officially, none come to mind, though in some areas where it tends to rain a lot there are probably local words for it. But they are so local that outside the area, no one understands what they mean. In Galician, which is a minority language, and therefore treats most local words as part of its official vocabulary, there are many. It's a testament to our rainy landscape.
There's the usual poalla or poalleira, babuxa, boralla, orballo, chuvisca, or my favorite, mollaparvos. This last one literally means "wet the dumb." If one thinks that one won't get wet going out and about in a thin drizzle without protection, then that person is dumb.
Later today, the wind will pick up, and as the storm approaches Europe, the rain will fall harder. From drizzle, it'll go to chuvieira, bategada, chaparrada, dioivo, arroiada or bátega. If thunderstorms show up at the highpoint, we'll get treboada, trebón, pedrazo, or sarabiada.
The beauty of a language is the many ways of expression that can describe all the subtleties of the surrounding world. It is saddening when there are people that always use the same words, and won't bother to learn new ways of expression. Some of the kids I help in English don't even know some basic vocabulary in Spanish or Galician. They don't read and don't bother to look up words they've never heard before. So, when I use a word that is outside their usual vocabulary, they don't understand me. When it's a six year old child, it's understandable, but not when it's a teenager or a middle school child. Despite having such a wealth of vocabulary in our languages, if it doesn't get any use, the words will die out and only exist in a dictionary. And then communication will be so boring.
How many synonyms are there for drizzle in English? Officially, none come to mind, though in some areas where it tends to rain a lot there are probably local words for it. But they are so local that outside the area, no one understands what they mean. In Galician, which is a minority language, and therefore treats most local words as part of its official vocabulary, there are many. It's a testament to our rainy landscape.
There's the usual poalla or poalleira, babuxa, boralla, orballo, chuvisca, or my favorite, mollaparvos. This last one literally means "wet the dumb." If one thinks that one won't get wet going out and about in a thin drizzle without protection, then that person is dumb.
Later today, the wind will pick up, and as the storm approaches Europe, the rain will fall harder. From drizzle, it'll go to chuvieira, bategada, chaparrada, dioivo, arroiada or bátega. If thunderstorms show up at the highpoint, we'll get treboada, trebón, pedrazo, or sarabiada.
The beauty of a language is the many ways of expression that can describe all the subtleties of the surrounding world. It is saddening when there are people that always use the same words, and won't bother to learn new ways of expression. Some of the kids I help in English don't even know some basic vocabulary in Spanish or Galician. They don't read and don't bother to look up words they've never heard before. So, when I use a word that is outside their usual vocabulary, they don't understand me. When it's a six year old child, it's understandable, but not when it's a teenager or a middle school child. Despite having such a wealth of vocabulary in our languages, if it doesn't get any use, the words will die out and only exist in a dictionary. And then communication will be so boring.
Love it. Remember that the Eskimos have many ways to say snow?
ReplyDelete