The Prefix "ombro"

I was at a spelling bee last week and one of the words, which the pronouncer couldn't pronounce, was ombrophilous (accent on second syllable). I decided at that instant that I needed to do an essay on words using that prefix, both because the few that there are are fascinating and because on the way to ombro you discover so many other interesting things.

I first turned to page 1573 of the Webster's Third International dictionary, where all the ombro's reside, but I couldn't get there without first pausing on omasum for second (oh MAY sum). This word opens up for us the subject of ruminant stomachs, if you were interested, because the omasum is the third stomach or compartment. The others are the rumen, reticulum and abomasum. But I was reminded that an alternative word for omasum is, of all things, psalterium, a word that originally meant either an arrangement of the Book of Psalms or a stringed instrument played like the harp or lyre (the most frequently cited instruments in the Psalms). TH Huxley gives us an explanation, cited here.

Well, before we get to ombro, we have to pass through ombre, too. This word actually has two meanings, the first of which is a "trick-taking card game for three people using 40 cards." It was a popular card game in the 17th-early 18th century, being replaced by quadrille around 1726. The origin of the term is from the Spanish "hombre" (man), and is explained nicely in this quotation from John Cotgrave's 1662 edition of Wits interpreter:

"L'Ombre is a Spanish Game at Cards, wherein he who undertakes to play it saith, 'Jo soy L'Ombre,' i.e., 'I am the man'; for so the word L'Ombre signfieth."

Isn't it nice, in the vexing complexity of life, to have something so beautifully clear as this? In English now we have the phrase, "You da man.." Is that English?

But the second use of ombre derives not from the Spanish "man" but from the Latin umbrare, to shade, and refers to a fabric with graduated tones from light to dark. Also derived directly from the Latin is umbrella, something that gives shade or screen from rain or sun. However, a small umbrella is called an ombrellino. In this case the Italian has changed the Latin "u" to an "o." There is also an ecclesiastical significance for ombrellino: "A small umbrella-like canopy held over the Host when it is carried in procession." You wonder if martini-makers wanted to get into the act and get their little umbrellas named ombrellinos?

Finally, to Ombro

Now we finally get to the target of our study--ombro. I took so long getting here because the word behind ombro has nothing to do with shade (umbrare--Latin; or ombrellino--Italian) or hombre--Spanish. Rather ombro is derived from the Classical Greek ombros, which means a shower of rain. The Latin cognate of the Greek is imber. Thus, something imbrid is "wet, rainy," and something imbriferous is "rain-bringing" or "showery." I knew we had crucifers and Lucifers, but I never knew that we might also have imbrifers--things that bring rain. Thus, clouds can be referred to as imbrifers. Just thought you would like to know.

But most of the "rain"-words in English are derived from the Greek "ombro." Among them are: (1) ombrometer; (2) ombrophilous; (3) ombrophobic/ombrophobous; (4) ombrifuge; (5) ombrogenous; (6) ombrograph; (7) ombrology; and (8) ombrotrophic. Since we don't have time to clarify all of these, let's just do a few. Ombrology is that part of meteorology that studies rain. My, since I am from the Pacific NW, I wonder if there is any other duty of a meterologist....

An ombrometer, as suspected, is nothing other than a rain gauge. The word isn't that well-attested in our day, because we really have no need for it. Maybe that is why there are three other big words for a "rain gauge": hyetometer, udometer and pluviometer. When you do Google searches, you see that none of them is very popular, though pluviometer takes the palm for frequency of use, followed by udometer, ombrometer and, in last place, hyetometer. Of course, in my judgement, you learn these words not necessarily because you will use them, but because once the roots become very clear to you, you can build veritable cities of words with these and others which you study. Ancient Babylon and Rome will be no match for your constructive abilities with all of the new words you will learn.

Moving Quickly Now

Something that is an ombrifuge (not ombrofuge) provides shelter from rain--an umbrella. The first attestation of this word, in 1869, gives us another word for our growing collection: "The belfry proves a fortress of a sort,..Turns sunscreen, paravent and ombrifuge." A paravent, derived from the Italian para + vento (wind)is a screen that provides protection against the wind; hence a dividing screen or partition. Back to our ombri/ombros. One might have thought that an ombrifuge is something that flees rain, such as a cat, but the way it has been used is something that makes rain flee, the umbrella.

Something ombrophilous loves rain or, in more technical terms of botany, a plant able to withstand prolonged rainfall. But we have an interloper in our pure system here, for a secondary meaning of ombrophilous is "shade-loving." This confuses the umbriphilous with ombrophilous. Since no one uses either term, the problem may seem quite small, but we should keep to our distinctions. Don't you agree? Likewise, an ombrophobous plant is one that is intolerant to prolonged rainfall. Here is where our friendly cat enters: we should not be afraid to refer to cats as ombrophobous. Why limit the meaning to plants?

Conclusion

Then, in conclusion, we have the word ombrotrophic, which means "dependent on precipitation for formation and sustenance." It is used in the study of bogs--not something to get bogged down on today. And, there is ombrogenous, also from "bog-speak," which means the same thing as ombrotrophic.

There are at least a dozen good words that you can derive out of this study for today. The study of words is so good for us because it teaches us the truth of learning: that, in general, it is one step at a time. But, with some diligence, humor, and focus, we can learn all the words...

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