“Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another.”
Juvenal, Roman poet, 55–128 AD
Nature Words is a collection of poetic, fascinating, surprising, and ocassionally amusing terms and phrases relating to the natural world – each entry is paired with an accompanying photograph. Some of the entries are arcane. Others are relatively common but perhaps have a surprising etymology or broader application than is generally known. Some serve as portals into condensed glossaries of specific phenomena. Where I’ve strayed from English, it’s generally because no satisfactory direct translation exists or because the exotic alternative is more satisfying – the term gold flash is good but the original Norwegian gullflass is just better.
Originally conceived as a book for nature and word lovers, with the working title Language & Landscape –An incomplete guide to the vocabulary of the natural world, it will hopefully be published in hard copy at some stage.
Introduction Aeolian Alpenglow Apricity Asperous
Benthos Crepuscular Crispate Crown shyness
Desire lines Dreich Endragoned Edgelands
Frondescence Fumarole Gluggaveður Gossamer
Karst Komorebi Lawrence Long acre
Machair Monkey’s wedding Moonglade
Psithurism Quartz Rakuyou Roaring forties
Snag Soft estate Specular, diffuse and pellucid
Spoondrift Steam fog Swash zone Sylvan
Tellurian and thalassic Terracettes Uliginous