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{{#isin:Bodies of water}} |
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It is a misconception that the Lake District has "lakes." It is much more than that. If you go by name alone it has only one lake, [[Bassenthwaite Lake]]. Semantics aside, the Lake District ''does'' has more than one lake. In fact it has multiple lakes of different sizes in the form of [[mere]]s, [[water]]s and [[tarn]]s, dotted throughout this rugged, yet beautiful landscape. These words are synonymous with the bodies of water that were born is this wide open land, either by glacial withdrawal or by human intervention. |
It is a misconception that the Lake District has "lakes." It is much more than that. If you go by name alone it has only one lake, [[Bassenthwaite Lake]]. Semantics aside, the Lake District ''does'' has more than one lake. In fact it has multiple lakes of different sizes in the form of [[mere]]s, [[water]]s and [[tarn]]s, dotted throughout this rugged, yet beautiful landscape. These words are synonymous with the bodies of water that were born is this wide open land, either by glacial withdrawal or by human intervention. |
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Thanks to the {{w2|Last Glacial Period|last glacial period}} of 10,000 years ago, the retreating ice left us with glacially erodes valleys that formed the lake district we see today. Not only the ice but people too are responsible for changing the landscape. [[Haweswater]] and [[Thirlmere]] are reservoirs, although the former was once a natural lake. It was dammed to raise the water level in a bid to supply fresh water for the people of Manchester, at a price that flooded two cumbrian villages, now lost to the murky darkness. The once ebb and flow of ice and, in much more recent times, people, continue to have an effect on the natural backdrop of the second oldest<ref group="lower-alpha">The Lake District National Park was formed on 9 May, 1951, second after that of the Peak District, which was formed on 17 April, 1951.</ref> national park in England. |
Thanks to the {{w2|Last Glacial Period|last glacial period}} of 10,000 years ago, the retreating ice left us with glacially erodes valleys that formed the lake district we see today. Not only the ice but people too are responsible for changing the landscape. [[Haweswater]] and [[Thirlmere]] are reservoirs, although the former was once a natural lake. It was dammed to raise the water level in a bid to supply fresh water for the people of Manchester, at a price that flooded two cumbrian villages, now lost to the murky darkness. The once ebb and flow of ice and, in much more recent times, people, continue to have an effect on the natural backdrop of the second oldest<ref group="lower-alpha">The Lake District National Park was formed on 9 May, 1951, second after that of the Peak District, which was formed on 17 April, 1951.</ref> national park in England. |
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The larger of the lakes usually carry the suffix of [[mere]] or [[water]], whilst the humble [[tarn]] is usually reserved for the smaller bodies of water. However, there are some tarns larger than lakes, just confuse matters.<ref>[https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/factsandfigures Lake District Fact and Figures] The Lake District National Park Authority. Accessed 15 January, 2023.</ref> Each body of water, large and small, encompassed by neighbouring fells, woodland and moors, bestow a natural beauty individual in character. One of the best ways to experience this is on foot. |
The larger of the lakes usually carry the suffix of [[mere]] or [[water]], whilst the humble [[tarn]] is usually reserved for the smaller bodies of water. However, there are some tarns larger than lakes, just confuse matters.<ref>[https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/factsandfigures Lake District Fact and Figures] The Lake District National Park Authority. Accessed 15 January, 2023.</ref> An example of this is evident in [[Blea Water]] (a tarn) being slightly lager than [[Elter Water]], which is the smallest of the lakes. Each body of water, large and small, encompassed by neighbouring fells, woodland and moors, bestow a natural beauty individual in character. One of the best ways to experience this is on foot. |
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==Where do the names come from?== |
==Where do the names come from?== |
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===Tarn=== |
===Tarn=== |
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The word '''tarn''', used extensively throughout the northwest and in particularly the Lake District, comes from the late 14 century and typically means a small mountain lake. It is also a dialectal word popularised by the Lake poets.<ref>{{oed|title1=tarn|title2=Tarn|day=22|month=January|year=2022}}</ref> |
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'''Tarn''': Late 14c., mid-13c. in Anglo-Latin, From: |
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*Old Norse ''tjörn'' → |
*Old Norse ''[[wiktionary:tjörn|tjörn]]'' → meaning a small mountain lake, pond or pool |
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*Middle English ''terne'' / ''tarne'' → meaning a lake, pond or pool |
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*Proto-Germanic ''terno'' → possibly "water hole" |
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*Proto-Germanic ''[[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ternō|ternō]]'' → a reconstructed word meaning a small lake or water hole |
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A dialectal word popularised by the Lake poets.<ref>{{oed|title1=tarn|title2=Tarn|day=22|month=January|year=2022}}</ref> |
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''Tarn'' is also cognate with Danish ''[[wiktionary:tjern|tjern]]'', Faroese ''[[wiktionary:tjørn|tjørn]]'' (pond), Icelandic ''[[wiktionary:tjörn|tjörn]]'' (pond), Norwegian Bokmål ''tjern'' (small forest or mountain lake) (Norwegian Nynorsk ''tjern'', ''tjørn''), Swedish ''[[wiktionary:tjärn|tjärn]]'' (small forest lake). |
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{{lakes table}} |
{{lakes table}} |
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Revision as of 09:10, 11 April 2023
It is a misconception that the Lake District has "lakes." It is much more than that. If you go by name alone it has only one lake, Bassenthwaite Lake. Semantics aside, the Lake District does has more than one lake. In fact it has multiple lakes of different sizes in the form of meres, waters and tarns, dotted throughout this rugged, yet beautiful landscape. These words are synonymous with the bodies of water that were born is this wide open land, either by glacial withdrawal or by human intervention.
Thanks to the last glacial period of 10,000 years ago, the retreating ice left us with glacially erodes valleys that formed the lake district we see today. Not only the ice but people too are responsible for changing the landscape. Haweswater and Thirlmere are reservoirs, although the former was once a natural lake. It was dammed to raise the water level in a bid to supply fresh water for the people of Manchester, at a price that flooded two cumbrian villages, now lost to the murky darkness. The once ebb and flow of ice and, in much more recent times, people, continue to have an effect on the natural backdrop of the second oldest[a] national park in England.
The larger of the lakes usually carry the suffix of mere or water, whilst the humble tarn is usually reserved for the smaller bodies of water. However, there are some tarns larger than lakes, just confuse matters.[1] An example of this is evident in Blea Water (a tarn) being slightly lager than Elter Water, which is the smallest of the lakes. Each body of water, large and small, encompassed by neighbouring fells, woodland and moors, bestow a natural beauty individual in character. One of the best ways to experience this is on foot.
Where do the names come from?
Mere
Mere: Pool, small lake, pond. From Old English mere meaning "sea, ocean; lake, pool, pond, cistern," from Proto-Germanic mari. Also from:
- Old Norse: marr
- Old Saxon: meri → "sea"
- Middle Dutch: → maer / Dutch: meer → "lake, sea, pool"
- Old High German: mari / German: meer → "sea"
- Gothic: marei → "sea," mari-saiws → "lake"
The source of these come from the Proto-Indo-European root word mori, meaning "body of water." The larger sense of "sea, or arm of the sea" has been obsolete since Middle English.[2] Mere in this instance refers to the names Buttermere, Grasmere, Windermere, Kentmere, which are recorded from the late 12th or 13th century. The term "water" is used more often for the larger of the lakes.[3]
Water
- Water:
Tarn
The word tarn, used extensively throughout the northwest and in particularly the Lake District, comes from the late 14 century and typically means a small mountain lake. It is also a dialectal word popularised by the Lake poets.[4]
- Old Norse tjörn → meaning a small mountain lake, pond or pool
- Middle English terne / tarne → meaning a lake, pond or pool
- Proto-Germanic ternō → a reconstructed word meaning a small lake or water hole
Tarn is also cognate with Danish tjern, Faroese tjørn (pond), Icelandic tjörn (pond), Norwegian Bokmål tjern (small forest or mountain lake) (Norwegian Nynorsk tjern, tjørn), Swedish tjärn (small forest lake).
| Name | Type | Length | Width | Surface area | Depth | Elevation | Infow | Outflow | Islands | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassenthwaite Lake | 4 mi (6.4 km) | 0.8 mi (1.3 km) | 1.98 sq mi (5.1 km2) | 70 ft (21 m) | 223 ft (68 m) | River Derwent Newlands Beck |
River Derwent | 0 | ||
| Buttermere | ||||||||||
| Coniston Water | ||||||||||
| Crummock Water | Ribbon | 2.5 mi (4.0 km) | 0.6 mi (0.97 km) | 140 ft (43 m) | 315 ft (96 m) | Buttermere Dubs | River Cocker | 6 | [5] | |
| Derwent Water | ||||||||||
| Elterwater | ||||||||||
| Ennerdale Water | ||||||||||
| Esthwaite Water | ||||||||||
| Grasmere | ||||||||||
| Haweswater | ||||||||||
| Loweswater | ||||||||||
| Rydal Water | ||||||||||
| Thirlmere | [6] | |||||||||
| Ullswater | ||||||||||
| Wast Water | [7] | |||||||||
| Windermere | [8] |
Notes
- ↑ The Lake District National Park was formed on 9 May, 1951, second after that of the Peak District, which was formed on 17 April, 1951.
References
- ↑ Lake District Fact and Figures The Lake District National Park Authority. Accessed 15 January, 2023.
- ↑ Mere Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed 22 January, 2022.
- ↑ Whaley, Diana (2006). A Dictionary of Lake District Place-Names. English Place-Name Society. School of English Studies, University of Nottingham. p.411.
- ↑ Tarn Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed 22 January, 2022.
- ↑ Quieter than it's neighbour, Buttermere
- ↑ Actually a reservoir
- ↑ Deepest lake in England
- ↑ Largest lake in England