French got the words from Latin spelaeum, which variously meant a cave, cavern, den, or grotto (it derives from Greek spelaion, a cave). The word ‘spelunking’ has been in the news a lot recently due to the extraordinary rescue of the Thai boys and their football coach who were trapped in a flooded cave. Spelunking Hindi Meaning - Find the correct meaning of Spelunking in Hindi. These have been around since the middle 1890s and were brought over directly from French, where pioneers such as the lawyer Edouard Martel had explored caves from the 1880s on; in 1895 he founded the Société de Spéléologie. Other words sites Dictionary.com Unabridged All rights reserved.This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-spe3.htmLast modified: 4 May 2013. What’s The Difference Between Atheism And Agnosticism? Along with many others, we followed news of the Thai boys and their football coach trapped in a flooded cave for nearly three weeks. See spelunking in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary Check pronunciation: spelunking The synonyms and antonyms of Spelunking are listed below. verb (used without object) to explore caves, especially as a hobby. A It’s American and — I suspect — a learned joke. Scientists and cavers who explore with serious purpose continue to call themselves speleologists. It may seem like fun and games but this vocab quiz will determine how much you know. Some people also call this activity  caving’. spelunkings) The practice or hobby of exploring… spelunker: spelunker (English) Origin & history spelunk + -er Pronunciation Rhymes: -ʌŋkə(r) Noun spelunker (pl. It may seem like fun and games but this vocab quiz will determine how much you know. A similar word is used in Dutch (spelonk), meaning a ‘cavity in a mountain’, and German (Spelunke). It is said to have arisen in New England and was presumably based by some learned person on a different classical Latin word, spelunca, which the Romans took over from the Greek spelynx. Asked by Wiki User 1 2 3 Answer. Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020. Learn the origin and popularity plus how to pronounce Spelunking The word spelunking arrived in the United States in the 1940s to describe a person who explores caves as a hobby or sport. What made you want to look up spelunker? Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative? After English to Hindi translation of Spelunking, if you have issues in pronunciation, then you can hear the audio of it in the online dictionary. football team became trapped inside the Tham Luang cave network, differences between American and British English, Yorkshire Dialect Dictionary Uncovers 4,000 Regional Words. ", Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP. Grab your headlamp and read on to explore the meanings and differences between the words spelunking, potholing, caving and speleology. It is written as Vikretā in Roman. There are two words that refer to exploring caves. These days speleology refers in particular to the scientific study of caves, as opposed to hobby or sport exploration, though that wasn’t necessarily true when it first appeared. Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020. The noun spelunker is very slightly older in print than the verb spelunk: Spelunkers Peterson, Surer and John Wingfield first conceived their expedition two years ago when they penetrated School Cave to the edge of Its first chasm, known as the “Jumping-Off Place.”. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Affixes dictionary. All rights reserved. They call themselves 'spelunkers,' taking the name from the snappy Latin title for a cave, 'spelunka,' and from the high-sounding British caveman's club which is 'British Speleological Association'. Caves are underground spaces inside a rocky mass, such as a mountain or cliff. Have you ever been caving, spelunking or potholing? There are always several meanings of each word in Hindi. “Spelunker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spelunker. How To Determine Subject vs. Predicate In A Sentence. The group were trapped in the darkness for nine days until two British divers discovered them. The young football team became trapped inside the Tham Luang cave network during a trip on 23rd June, after a rush of flood water blocked them in and forced them further into the cave system. Learn more. New words appear; old ones fall out of use or alter their meanings. spelunking: spelunking (English) Origin & history spelunk + -ing. Latin spēlunca "cave" (borrowed from Greek spēlynk-, stem of spêlynx "cave") + -er entry 2 — more at speleology, Note: “Epidemic” vs. “Pandemic” vs. “Endemic”: What Do These Terms Mean? Cookies and privacy The Latin word spelaeum itself derives from the Greek ‘spelaion’, which means cave. Word Origin 1940s: from obsolete spelunk ‘cave’ (from Latin spelunca) + -ing. From this word, we also get the adjective ‘speleological’ and the profession ‘speleologist’ (i.e. It is important to understand the word properly when we translate it from English to Hindi. Does Traditional Grammar Matter When It Comes To Singular “They” And “Themself”? Origin of Spelunking 1940s: from obsolete spelunk ‘cave’ (from Latin spelunca) + -ing. Donate via PayPal. What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”? What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”? World Wide Words tries to record at least a part of this shifting wordscape by featuring new words, word histories, words in the news, and the curiosities of native English speech. What is the origin of spelunking? Q From Austin: How did the word Spelunking come about? These are topical words to explore in the EFL class in relation to the recent news story, which could also be used for a comprehension lesson. The correct meaning of Spelunking in Hindi is कंदरान्वेषण. What is the meaning of Spelunking? Your email address will not be published. Spelunking or potholing is generally considered more dangerous than regular caving, as vertical drops are obviously more perilous than horizontal passages. It is also just possible that the originator knew of the Dutch spelonk or the equivalent Middle High German Spelunke (in modern German the later is a slang term for a dark and dirty pub, a low dive). Deep in the bowels of a cave system on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in a dim chamber accessible only to the most intrepid of, The caves that comprise Kartchner Caverns State Park were discovered by, In another rescue operation in the Tatra Mountains, TOPR emergency workers have been searching for two, One other bit of Apple news: ace software, This historic national landmark offers day and overnight tours for, Post the Definition of spelunker to Facebook, Share the Definition of spelunker on Twitter, Which of the following was once a synonym for. The team’s 25-year old coach, a former Buddhist monk, helped the youngsters to cope mentally by teaching them some meditation techniques. Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. We provide breaking news, Pakistani news, International news, Business news, Sports news, Urdu news and Live Urdu News. Spelunk definition, to explore caves, especially as a hobby. Forgotten First Languages Leave Imprint On Brain, Study Shows, Canada Introduces New Language Requirements for Citizenship Applicants, Halloween EFL Lesson Plans: Ghostly Games and Eerie Ideas, The London Jazz Festival comes to the EFL Classroom. Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference? a person who studies cave systems for a living). Copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–. I know that it means exploring caves, but I have no idea how it came to be or why it means that. See the full definition for spelunker in the English Language Learners Dictionary. ‘Spelunking’ is an American English word that expresses the activity of exploring these wild caves. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020. Your email address will not be published. The English language is forever changing. spelunking From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English spelunking spe‧lunk‧ing / spəˈlʌŋkɪŋ / noun [ uncountable ] American English the sport of walking and climbing in cave s — spelunker noun [ countable ] Origin spelunking ( 1900-2000 ) Latin spelunca “ cave ” , from Greek spelynx The older is speleology, with its derived speleological and speleologist. Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference? An adjective, speluncar"of a … “Epidemic” vs. “Pandemic” vs. “Endemic”: What Do These Terms Mean? Have you discovered any other new words from following news stories? I know that it means exploring caves, but I have no idea how it came to be or why it means that. Delivered to your inbox! The older is speleology, with its derived speleological and speleologist. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Select your currency from the list and click Donate. We borrowed "spelunker" from Latin spelunca, which in turn derives from Greek spelynx. Page created 20 May 2006Last updated: 4 May 2013, Problems viewing this page? Does Traditional Grammar Matter When It Comes To Singular “They” And “Themself”? The base term caving comes from the Latin cavea or caverna, meaning simply, a cave. They remained perched on a ledge about 2 miles from the cave entrance. When you get to the bottom of things, you find that both the Latin and Greek words mean "cave." What’s The Difference Between Atheism And Agnosticism? Send us feedback. In British English, we call this ‘potholing’. Spelunk first turns up in print in a tortuous bit of wordplay that began a news item in the Salisbury Times of Maryland just a month later: “Spelunkers spieled tales of spelunks today for the nation’s first conference on speology [sic].” Both words were used in reports of the conference in Time and Newsweek and this did much to popularise them. Spelunking Hindi Meaning - Find the correct meaning of Spelunking in Hindi. It’s derived from the Latin spelunca, or the Greek spelynx, which also means cave. In German, the use has changed to ‘a scruffy bar or pub’. There are two words that refer to exploring caves. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). or directly from Latin spelunca"a cave, cavern, grotto," from Greek spelynx(accusative spelynga, genitive spelyngos) "a cave, cavern," from spelos"a cave." Spelunk for a cave, borrowed from the Latin via Old French, did briefly exist in English but was last recorded in 1563 (though the related adjective speluncar had a brief flowering in the nineteenth century).