A cool map illustrating the different ways we refer to water bodies, which reflects settlement patterns by people with different cultural backgrounds.

Lime green bayous follow historical French settlement patterns along the Gulf Coast and up Louisiana streams. The distribution of the Dutch-derived term kill (dark blue) in New York echoes the colonial settlement of “New Netherland” (as well as furnishing half of a specific toponym to the Catskill Mountains). Similarly, the spanish-derived terms rio, arroyo, and cañada (orange hues) trace the early advances of conquistadors into present-day northern New Mexico, an area that still retains some unique culturaltraits. Washes in the southwest reflect the intermittent rainfall of the region, while streams named swamps (desaturated green) along the Atlantic seaboard highlight where the coastal plain meets the Appalachian Piedmont at the fallline.

1. fladtheinhaler reblogged this from highcountrynews
2. prairie-wildfire reblogged this from highcountrynews
3. glencocobro likes this
4. willtravel reblogged this from highcountrynews and added:

   FASCINATING but what is this “slough” you speak of? I’ve crawled all over the purple and not encountered it falling out...

5. portlandstateofmind reblogged this from highcountrynews
6. petulantskeptic reblogged this from highcountrynews and added:

   A cool map illustrating the different ways we refer to water bodies, which reflects settlement patterns by people with...

7. cunaii likes this
8. craigariathy reblogged this from joshbois7 and added:

   I love this. For the record: it’s a brook, it babbles, get used to it.

9. joshbois7 reblogged this from highcountrynews
10. i-am-in-exile likes this
11. whateveryourhandfindstodo likes this
12. oxegeny likes this
13. jholliday likes this
14. homeownersinsurancemiami reblogged this from highcountrynews
15. homeownersinsurancemiami likes this
16. highcountrynews posted this