hurricane

[prettygoodword]

hurricane (HUR-i-kain, HUHR-i-kain) - n., a severe tropical cyclone (an intense storm rotating around a central eye), especially one in the tropical north Atlantic or tropic eastern north Pacific oceans; something resembling a hurricane especially in its turmoil.



Thanks, WikiMedia!

Most of the ones we see here in Arizona are Pacific hurricanes -- the ones the Taíno peoples saw were of course in the Caribbean. Earlier English spellings, btw, include hurricano, furacan, and uracan -- all from Spanish huracán and/or Portuguese furacão, both from Taíno hurakán/hurakā.

---L.

Comments

[minoanmiss]

Here is a story from my childhood about a hurricane.

My parents are from Jamaica in the Caribbean, and grew up with the yearly devastation of hurricanes. They moved to NYC where hurricanes did not arrive with frequency (this has changed in my lifetime, whee). When Hurricane Gloria arrived in NYC my father freaked out and wanted to put wood over the windows, whereas my mother went shopping. My parents argued very rarely so my reaction to this was metaphorical popcorn and actual glee.

[prettygoodword]

Heh. IIRC Gloria was more rain than wind at that point?

[minoanmiss]

Yep! I remember looking from the window into the yard at all the leaves on the ground and all the still-whole trees, which I noted after hearing my father talk about hurricanes breaking trees. Whereas Melissa, among her other misdeeds, broke my maternal family's mango tree. (Fortunately that was the only damage my aunt's house sustained. My other aunt, who lives in a different city, had more to contend with)