Orogeny

Orogeny is the foremost process by which mountains are built. From the Greek oros 'mountain' and genes 'born'. The Spanish word for gold oro -and also generally speaking things that are shiny- is also derived from this Greek root oros.

I am enamored of the idea that the root word for mountain became also the word for gold. I suppose it’s no great leap, gold and other sparkling mineral substances tend to be unearthed from mountains but still I picture shiny mountains.

Finding this word, though I can't seem to quite remember where I found it, conjured up this image of a mountain in all its archetypal glory standing as a challenge and a promise to illuminate those who are brave or foolish enough to seek its heights. I picture the sparkling of a snowy windswept peak in the late day sun and it tugs my heartstrings. The image of snow clouds blowing off of mountain tops, the way they shimmer, is amongst my favorite images of all time and I have yet to find a word to define that better than sublime.

Also, depending on what corner of the world you inhabit, if your nearby mountain chain is still growing say, you might be fortunate enough to be living in an orogenous zone. (That's not a real word.... yet)

Petrichor

Petrichor (/ˈpɛtrɨkɔər/) is the scent of rain on dry earth, or the scent of dust after rain. The word is constructed from Greek, petros, meaning stone + ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology. It is defined as "the distinctive scent which accompanies the first rain after a long warm dry spell 

In truth I owe the inspiration for this entire undertaking to this word. It's a strange word, of course it was invented by scientists so it makes good and proper sense in terms of its origin and makeup. The sound of the word itself though, petrichor, conjures up absolutely nothing of the poetic sense associated with the scent of rain. Try it out; say the word aloud to yourself, taste it, roll it around on your tongue. Now think of rain, draw up from your sense memory the scent of rain on a warm spring day as it soaks into the soil in your garden... what word comes to mind? Not petrichor, be honest now. Nevertheless, I love this word. I have shared this word with as many people as I've had opportunity, if you've been within earshot of me whilst the scent itself was present... you've likely heard me ask you if you know the word.  

If we were to construct a meaning for this word and not know that it had already been coined by some Australians somewhere when they were surely bored out on some dusty plain and were delighted by the rain to distract them... excuse me. If we were to construct our own meaning based on petros -stone- and ichor -god blood- I think my definition would have rather more to do with Golems than smells. Petrichor could just as easily define the divine juice pumped into a formed clay figure in order to animate it and send it forth to do thy holy bidding. But alas, the Australians got to it first and thankfully so perhaps because it's a word deserving of more use than it would see if only to description of holy animated solids. I implore you to spread the word.


Petrichor. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved February 8, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor 

Aa: A beginning

Aa "Aa [is] A Hawaiian term for lava flows typified by a rough, jagged, spinose, clinkery surface. Cf: pahoehoe; block lava. Pron: ah-ah. Obs.syn: aphrolith.” (Bates and Jackson, 1980)

This I the very first entry in the very first glossary I’ve adopted in order to begin this anecdotal glossary of vernacular natural history terms. It is in fact the Second Edition of the Glossary of Geology edited by Robert L. Bates and Julia A. Jackson. This treasure laden tome was published by the American Geological Institute in 1980, in Falls Church, Virginia if you care to know. The name Falls Church seems worth digging into itself, but that's for another time and another place.

Geology (excuse the pun) is a goldmine of wonderful words in which to describe the world, or at least the geologic parts of it (which are manifold). These are my initial thoughts in response to Aa. 

     Me:  Clinkery... ?
     Glossary:  Yes, clinkery.

     Me: … 

     Glossary:  Oh, excuse my presumptuousness! Clinkery, of course, is the adjective form of clinker which itself refers to; ‘A rough, jagged pyroclastic or autobrecciated fragment, such as aa that resembles the clinker or slag of a furnace’.
     Me:  Naturally.

     Glossary:   Quite.

     Me:   So what your saying is I’ll need a dictionary or a geological glossary of my own to proceed any farther?

     Glossary:  Yes.

At the time of discovering this word I was using a library copy of the book, I have this book on my shelf now. And so it begins.