karst

See also: Karst, kärṣt-, and kärst-

English

WOTD – 18 January 2010

Etymology

Borrowed from German Karst. The German term and the Slovene placename Kras (the Karst Plateau) are from Proto-Slavic *korsъ, from Italo-Dalmatian carsus (cf. Italian carso), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (hard; rock).[1] More at Karst.

The metathesis in the Slovene term precludes German borrowing from Slovene.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: käst, IPA(key): /kɑːst/
  • (General American) enPR: kärst, IPA(key): /kɑɹst/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)st
    Homophones: cast, caste (in some non-rhotic accents)

Noun

karst (plural karsts)

  1. (geology) A type of land formation, usually with many caves formed through the dissolving of limestone by underground drainage.
    • 1978, M. M. Sweeting, “The Karst of Kweilin, Southern China”, in The Geographical Journal, volume 144, number 2, page 200:
      In the time available to us on our geomorphological tour we were not able to see the higher and younger karsts of Kweichow and Yunnan and Kunming.
    • 2009 May 29, “Katherine Harmon”, in Top 10 New Species Discovered in 2008[ScientificAmerican.com]:
      The shells are just 0.04 inch (one millimeter) long and were found on a karst formation where conditions are damp, but the snails that inhabit them have yet to be observed.

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. Gams, I., Kras v Sloveniji — v prostoru in casu (Karst in Slovenia in space and time), 2003

Further reading

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from German Karst.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɑrst/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: karst
  • Rhymes: -ɑrst

Noun

karst m (plural karsten)

  1. (geology) karst (terrain with caves formed by limestone dissolution by underground drainage)

Derived terms

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kaʁst/
  • (file)

Noun

karst m (plural karsts)

  1. (geology) karst

Further reading

Icelandic

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kʰar̥st/
  • Rhymes: -ar̥st

Noun

karst n (genitive singular karsts, no plural)

  1. (geology) karst

Declension

Old High German

Alternative forms

Etymology

Unknown; perhaps from a Proto-West Germanic *karsk, *karst related to keren (to sweep), from Proto-Germanic *karjaną.

Noun

karst m

  1. mattock, hoe

Declension

Descendants

  • Middle High German: karst
    • Alemannic German: Charst
    • Central Franconian: Kaasch, Kaascht
      Hunsrik: Kaarscht
      Moselle Franconian: Koascht
    • German: Karst
    • Luxembourgish: Kaascht
    • Rhine Franconian: Kaarsch, Kaarscht
      Palatine German: Kaarsch, Kaarscht
    • East Franconian: Koascht, Koaschd

Spanish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from German der Karst, name of a limestone region in Slovenia.

Noun

karst m (plural karstes)

  1. (geology) karst
    Synonym: malpaís

Further reading

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