Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Wondrous Words Wednesday - August 25th, 2010

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy aka Bermuda Onion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. Feel free to join in the fun.

COME SUNDAY by Isla Morley

veldt and fynbos - The Cape veldt was different at night, alive with the wild smell of fynbos; a thing with its own heartbeat, its own snorts and threats. (p. 1)

veldt: the open country, bearing grass, bushes, or shrubs, or thinly forested, characteristic of parts of southern Africa

fynbos: a type of vegetation unique to the Mediterranean-climate region of southern and southwestern South Africa, characterized by evergreen hard-leaved shrubs and almost no trees

kopjes - Children were called in from its heat at dusk, long before the moon would rise over the kopjes in the east. (p. 1)

kopjes: a small hill rising up from the African veld

saimin - If it is not before school starts to make sure I intend to get up, it is in the evening after she has fed Mr. Finnegan his saimin, changed his diaper, and put him to bed. (p.198)

saimin: saimin is a noodle soup dish developed in and unique to Hawaii

What new words did you discover this week?

3 comments:

rhapsodyinbooks said...

I like the sound of the word kopjes. But it sounds like it should be something more fun than "a small hill." Maybe some kind of food or toy!

bermudaonion said...

I think I've heard veldt before but I couldn't have defined it. When I saw the definition though, it felt right, if that makes sense. Thanks for playing along!

Lisa notes... said...

I’ve had to look up veldt before, but had forgotten its meaning. Never heard of the others. Thanks for sharing.