sussultatory
Jun. 16th, 2014 07:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
prettygoodwordsussultatory (SUS-suhl-tuh-toh-ree) - adj., characterized by up-and-down vibrations of large amplitude.
Used of earthquakes. The shockwaves propagating through the earth can be pressure waves, moving back and forth in the direction of travel, or vibrational moving perpendicular to it -- and that latter can be side-to-side or up-and-down. When it's that last, they are sussultatory. The opposite is succussatory, having low up-and-down amplitude, which doesn't tell you much about whether it's a pressure wave or not. Coined from Italian sussultare, to leap up, heave (from Latin subsultare, from sub-, up + sultare, alteration of saltare, to leap) + English -tory, adjectival ending.
---L.
Used of earthquakes. The shockwaves propagating through the earth can be pressure waves, moving back and forth in the direction of travel, or vibrational moving perpendicular to it -- and that latter can be side-to-side or up-and-down. When it's that last, they are sussultatory. The opposite is succussatory, having low up-and-down amplitude, which doesn't tell you much about whether it's a pressure wave or not. Coined from Italian sussultare, to leap up, heave (from Latin subsultare, from sub-, up + sultare, alteration of saltare, to leap) + English -tory, adjectival ending.
---L.
