Geomorphology Archives – A Way with Words

A Way with Words

About
Episodes
Podcast
Radio
Live Events
Contact
Your Support
Explore
- Recommended Reference Works
- Store
Our Mission

A fun radio show and podcast about language examined through family, history, and culture.

Contact

Ask your language questions: (877) 929-9673 or by email. More »

Listen

Podcast Apps • Radio Stations • All Episodes

Donate to A Way with Words. Your support makes the radio show and podcast possible.

Currently viewing the tag: "Geomorphology"

Gap, Notch, Saddle, and Pass

Posted by Grant Barrett on March 30, 2018 · Add Comment

What you call the space between mountains depends on which part of the country you’re in. The word gap is used more in the Southern United States, notch in the Northeast, and saddle or pass in the West. See Grant’s analysis of place names on the maps below. This is part of a complete episode.

Proper Noun Tautologies

Posted by grantbarrett on October 25, 2014 · Add Comment

Tautologies in names are pretty funny, like the Sahara Desert, which basically means “Desert Desert,” or the country of East Timor, which in Malay means “East East.” This is part of a complete episode.

Lush Desert Islands

Posted by grantbarrett on October 10, 2014 · Add Comment

Many desert islands don’t look like a desert at all. They’re lush and green. That’s because the term reflects the old sense of desert meaning “wild and uninhabited.” This is part of a complete episode.

Newsletter

Contact

Listen

Gap, Notch, Saddle, and Pass

Proper Noun Tautologies

Lush Desert Islands