Orology: Word of the Day
Posted: Monday, July 23, 2007
by Avis Ward
GeoVi's Home for Pregnant Teens
Any idea what orology means? Let me give you a clue; you’d have to go to the South Asian region of the world to study the top ten. Do you need another clue? Before 1852, this one was not known and is #1 in the top ten. You knew without the clues? You are a brainiac! (I know, that’s not a word but I like it.) I had no clue.
Taken directly from Webster: Orology (?), n. [Gr. 'oros mountain + -logy: cf. F. orologie.] The science or description of mountains.
Mountains have always been feared and respected by human beings. In Greek Mythology, Mount Olympus was the dwelling place of the Gods. Still now, in many religion of the world, mountains are considered as holy places.
Hold your breath, the Top ten Mountains of the World are:
Everest from Kala Patthar in Nepal
1. Mount Everest is located in Nepal/Tibet and is 29,029 feet high. “As of the end of the 2006 climbing season, there have been 3,050 ascents to the summit, by 2,062 individuals, and 203 people have died on the mountain." —Wikipedia
2. K-2 is located in Pakistan and is 28,251 feet high. Did you see the film Vertical Limit? I thoroughly enjoyed it. Chris O’Donnell, a mountain climber, scales K-2 in search of his sister.
3. Kangchenjunga is located in Nepal/India. It is a combination of five peaks. Its name literally means “The Five treasures of Snows." Its highest peak is 28,169 feet.
4. Lhotse is located in Nepal. This mountain is 27,940 feet. It is connected with Everest by south and some people mistakenly identify it as the south peak of Everest.
5. Makalu is located in Nepal/Tibet. It is 27,765 feet and is shaped like a four sided pyramid, making it very difficult to climb. The ascent was conquered by Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy on their second attempt.
6. Cho Oyu is located in Nepal/Tibet. The height of this mountain is 26,906. Its name in Tibetan language means “Turquoise Goddess."
7. Dhaulagiri means “White Mountain" and is located in Nepal. It is 26,794 feet high and for 30 years was thought to be the highest mountain in the world.
8. Manaslu is located in Nepal. The “Mountain of the Spirit" is 26,758 feet high.
9. Nanga Parbat is located in Pakistan. This mountain is 26,658 feet high. It is also known as Diamir. In Hindi “Nanga Parbat" means “Naked Mountain."
10. Annapurna is a Sanskrit word which means “Goddess of the Harvests." It is located in Nepal. It has a series of six peaks with the highest peak being 26,545 feet.
If you already knew what orology meant, perhaps you gained more information about the description of the Top ten Mountains of the World that you didn’t know. And for the rest of us, who were clueless about the meaning of orology, now we know. For anyone who wants to know more about orology but don’t know who to ask, I recommend Wikipedia!
2007 by Avis Ward