How weather got its words: a history of meteorological English – Part 1: Old English to the Age of Discovery

Abstract The English language is a gargantuan, gluttonous beast. It has become extraordinary among its peers in its powers of assimilation – such that we rarely consider the diverse origins of the words we use. In this two‐part paper, we will explore these origins, including the Pontic‐Caspian steppe, the British Empire, latinophone scientists and a TV show. We will discuss what barometers have in common with gurus, what hurricanes have in common with barbecues, why cumulocirrostratus never caught on, where typhoons really come from and why – in a different timeline – we might be weathermongers looking at welkins, cumbles and whirl‐puffs.