How weather got its words: a history of meteorological English. Part 1: Old English to the Age of Discovery

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The English language is a gargantuan, gluttonous beast. It has become extraordinary among its peers in its powers of assimilation – such that we rarely consider the diverse origins of the words we use. In this two-part paper, we will explore these origins, including the Pontic-Caspian steppe, the British Empire, latinophone scientists, and a TV show. We will discuss what barometers have in common with gurus, what hurricanes have in common with barbecues, why cumulocirrostratus never caught on, where typhoons really come from, and why – in a different timeline – we might be weathermongers looking at welkins, cumbles, and whirl-puffs.

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