A.Word.A.Day--fjord

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The Magic of Words

Aug 12, 2010

This week's theme
Glacial landforms

This week's words
drumlin
moraine
esker
fjord

Geiranger Fjord, Norway

Photo: Faisal

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

fjord or fiord

PRONUNCIATION:

(fyord)

MEANING:

noun: A long, narrow inlet of the sea, bordered by steep cliffs, and carved by glacial action.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Norwegian fjord, from Old Norse. Ultimately from the Indo-European root per- (to lead, pass over), which also gave us support, comport, petroleum, sport, passport, colporteur (a peddler of religious books), Swedish fartlek (a training technique), rapporteur, and Sanskrit parvat (mountain).

USAGE:

"Fiordland is most celebrated for the 14 fjords that slash into its coastline, carved by glaciers from erosion-proof granite more than 10,000 years ago."
Alex Hutchinson; In Frodo's Footsteps; The New York Times; Jul 29, 2010.

Explore "fjord" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The past, -- well, it's just like / our Great-Aunt Laura, / who cannot or will not perceive / that though she is welcome, / and though we adore her, / yet now it is time to leave. -Piet Hein, poet and scientist (1905-1996)

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