acequia

[prettygoodword]

acequia (uh-SAY-kyuh, Spanish ah-se-kyah) - n., (southwestern US) an irrigation ditch.


I've never heard this used outside of New Mexico, but I suspect it's also used in southern Colorado. Taken around 1810 from Spanish, which is no surprise as historically used by both Hispano and Puebloan peoples, from Arabic as-sāqiya, the irrigation ditch, from al-, the + sāqiya, irrigation ditch, feminine active participle of saqā, to give to drink. Here's one in Chimayó:


Thanks, WikiMedia!

---L.

Comments

[loup_noir]

I grew up in Las Vegas, but we never had anything that pretty in our desert. Water.... Flowing water is magic.

[prettygoodword]

Chimayó is up in the mountains, around 6000ft above sea level -- which makes a BIG difference in water and vegetation.