From Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day:
The Word of the Day for April 21 is:Why is riparian making an appearance here? Because Van Dyke Parks (whose song-title I've borrowed for this blog's title) is the only person I've ever known to use the word (in a commencement address).
riparian \ruh-PAIR-ee-un\ adjective: relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse (as a river) or sometimes of a lake or a tidewater
Example sentence: Residents of the riparian community learned to brace themselves for a flood whenever torrential rain was forecast.
Did you know? "Riparian" came to English from the same source that gave us "river" -- the Latin "riparius," a noun deriving from "ripa," meaning "bank" or "shore." First appearing in English in the 19th century, "riparian" refers to things that exist alongside a river (such as riparian wetlands, habitats, trees, etc.). Some river communities have laws called "riparian rights," referring to the rights of those owning land along a river to have access to the waterway. Note the distinction of this word from "littoral," which usually refers to things that occur along the shore of a sea or ocean.
(Thanks, Van Dyke!)
comments: 6
Devotees of Keeping up Appearances will never forget Hyacinth Bucket's "waterside supper with riparian entertainments."
...oh no! It's that Bucket woman again!
LOL!
I discovered the word because I live in such a place since 1989. I use it every year or so. Hard to believe I live in the woods in Nebraska.
And people who competed for river rights were ... rivals!
Yes — that's an amazing etymology. Thanks, Charless!
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