A.Word.A.Day --fjord

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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.

See more usage examples of fjord in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

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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