Subpopulus Hibernia
Active member
I've been reading a lot of old caving literature during the lockdown and I've come across a lot of obscure terms that I find quite intriguing.
A lot of these are the result of words being translated from French and not really sticking.
Boulder Ruckle
- Older term for a boulder choke. Seems to have fallen out of use in the 60s? It?s quite a friendly, open term, a lot less definite than choke.
Flattener
- I came across this great term in Australia, where it?s widely used for a low, wide squeeze. I was surprised to find it in Pierre Chevalier?s Subterranean Climbers, so it possibly came into English in the 50s via a French translation. I must try and use it a bit myself...
Cat-run
- This is used a fair bit in the classic old French caving books, and implies some sort of narrow, crawly passage.
Gut
- Used a bit in Subterranean Climbers, seems to mean a narrow twisting meandering passage.
Gallery
- A world you see a lot in the old literature, used a lot by Martel - the definition I found in Guy de Lavaur?s Caves and Cave Diving is that a gallery is a high-level passage above a streamway, but Martel seems to have used it for any fine broad, passage, dry or not.
Siphon
- A sump. Or sometimes a duck. Used a lot by Martel, seemingly obsolete in English by the 60s.
Any other odd or outdated terms that you?ve noticed over the years?
A lot of these are the result of words being translated from French and not really sticking.
Boulder Ruckle
- Older term for a boulder choke. Seems to have fallen out of use in the 60s? It?s quite a friendly, open term, a lot less definite than choke.
Flattener
- I came across this great term in Australia, where it?s widely used for a low, wide squeeze. I was surprised to find it in Pierre Chevalier?s Subterranean Climbers, so it possibly came into English in the 50s via a French translation. I must try and use it a bit myself...
Cat-run
- This is used a fair bit in the classic old French caving books, and implies some sort of narrow, crawly passage.
Gut
- Used a bit in Subterranean Climbers, seems to mean a narrow twisting meandering passage.
Gallery
- A world you see a lot in the old literature, used a lot by Martel - the definition I found in Guy de Lavaur?s Caves and Cave Diving is that a gallery is a high-level passage above a streamway, but Martel seems to have used it for any fine broad, passage, dry or not.
Siphon
- A sump. Or sometimes a duck. Used a lot by Martel, seemingly obsolete in English by the 60s.
Any other odd or outdated terms that you?ve noticed over the years?