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prettygoodwordbrackish (BRAK-ish) - adj., (of water) somewhat salty but less salty than sea water; having a somewhat salty taste or smell; not appealing to the taste, repulsive.
As in estuary water, which is a mix of sea- and fresh water, which is better at being potable than freshwater but still not actually good at it. The standard noun used for the distasteful sense seems to be tea, as brackish tea is used as the example in every dictionary that offers one. --Oh, wait, here's one that offers brackish gruel. Nonetheless. Dates to the 1500s, from Middle Dutch brak or brac, with a root sense of worthless, applied to the water because you can't farm with or drink brackish water. And yes, in English, brack is full on salty, no -ish-iness about it.
---L.
As in estuary water, which is a mix of sea- and fresh water, which is better at being potable than freshwater but still not actually good at it. The standard noun used for the distasteful sense seems to be tea, as brackish tea is used as the example in every dictionary that offers one. --Oh, wait, here's one that offers brackish gruel. Nonetheless. Dates to the 1500s, from Middle Dutch brak or brac, with a root sense of worthless, applied to the water because you can't farm with or drink brackish water. And yes, in English, brack is full on salty, no -ish-iness about it.
---L.
