Message-ID: <18880098.1075846759255.JavaMail.evans@thyme>
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 17:06:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: wsmith@wordsmith.org
To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--thalweg
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-From: Wordsmith <wsmith@wordsmith.org>
X-To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org
X-cc: 
X-bcc: 
X-Folder: \Susan_Scott_Dec2000_June2001_2\Notes Folders\All documents
X-Origin: SCOTT-S
X-FileName: sscott5.nsf

thalweg (TAHL-veg, -vek) noun

   1. A line, as drawn on a map, connecting the lowest points of a valley.

   2. The middle of the main navigable channel of a waterway that serves as
      a boundary line between states.

[From German, equivalent to Thal, now obsolete spelling of tal, valley + weg,
way.]

   "Five others and I have been detailed to Los Trancos Creek, a major
   tributary of the San Francisquito, to prepare a Thalweg profile."
   Edwin Kiester, Jr., A creek defies the odds, Smithsonian, Dec 1997.

This week's theme: words that make one say, I didn't know there was a word
for that.

.............................................................................
I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something.
-Jackie Mason (1931-)

Have you checked out AWADtalk, the new bulletin board for all things word?
It's your place to share opinions, ask questions, answer queries, or just
sit around and see what others are saying. Join AWADtalk, the online
community for linguaphiles from around the world: http://wordsmith.org/board

Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/thalweg.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/thalweg.ram