Spindrift (more rarely spoondrift) is the

spray Spray or spraying commonly refer to: * Spray (liquid drop) ** Aerosol spray ** Blood spray ** Hair spray ** Nasal spray ** Pepper spray ** PAVA spray ** Road spray or tire spray, road debris kicked up from a vehicle tire ** Sea spray, refers t ...

blown from cresting waves during a

gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).Beaufort Beaufort may refer to: People and titles * Beaufort (surname) * House of Beaufort, English nobility * Duke of Beaufort (England), a title in the peerage of England * Duke of Beaufort (France), a title in the French nobility Places Polar regions ...

and higher at sea. In Greek and Roman mythology,

Leucothea In Greek mythology, Leucothea (; grc-gre, Λευκοθέα, Leukothéa, white goddess), sometimes also called Leucothoe ( grc-gre, Λευκοθόη, Leukothóē), was one of the aspects under which an ancient sea goddess was recognized, in this ...

was the goddess of spindrift.

Terminology

''Spindrift'' is derived from the

Scots language Scots (endonym: ''Scots''; gd, Albais, ) is an Anglic language, Anglic Variety (linguistics), language variety in the West Germanic language, West Germanic language family, spoken in Scotland and parts of Ulster in the north of Ireland (wher ...

, but its further

etymology Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words ...

is uncertain."spindrift, ''n.''", in '' The Dictionary of the Scots Language'', Edinburgh:

Scottish Language Dictionaries Scottish Language Dictionaries (SLD), now Dictionaries of the Scots Language (DSL) is Scotland's lexicographical body for the Scots Language. DSL is responsible for the major Scots dictionaries, the ''Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue'' and ...

, 2004–,

OCLC OCLC, Inc., doing business as OCLC, See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It wa ...

br>57069714
reproduced from W lliamGrant and D

vid __NOTOC__ Vid or VID may refer to: In linguistics * VID, the Sanskrit root of Vidya, meaning "to know" and related to "veda". * "vid", Eye dialect spelling of "with" * Vid (given name), Slavic given name In mythology * Vid or Svetovid (Sva ...

D. Murison, editors, '' The Scottish National Dictionary'', Edinburgh:

Scottish National Dictionary Association The Scottish National Dictionary Association (SNDA) was founded in 1929 to foster and encourage the Scots language, in particular by producing a standard dictionary of modern Scots. This primary aim was fulfilled in 1976 with the completion of the 1 ...

, 1931–1976,

br>847228655
Although the ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

'' suggests it is a variant of ''

spoondrift Spindrift (more rarely spoondrift) is the spray blown from cresting waves during a gale. This spray, which "drifts" in the direction of the gale, is one of the characteristics of a wind speed of 8 Beaufort and higher at sea. In Greek and Roman ...

'' based on the way that word was pronounced in southwest Scotland, from ''

spoon A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a table setting, place setting, it is used ...

'' or ''

spoom Spoom is a type of frothy sorbet made with a lighter sugar syrup than that required for a true sorbet. As it begins to set, it is mixed with half its volume of Italian meringue. Like sorbet, it is made from fruit juice, wine, sherry or port and ...

'' ("to sail briskly with the wind astern, with or without sails hoisted") and ''

drift Drift or Drifts may refer to: Geography * Drift or ford (crossing) of a river * Drift, Kentucky, unincorporated community in the United States * In Cornwall, England: ** Drift, Cornwall, village ** Drift Reservoir, associated with the village S ...

'' ("a mass of matter driven or forced onward together in a body, etc., especially by wind or water"), this is doubted by the ''

Scottish National Dictionary The ''Scottish National Dictionary'' (''SND'') was published by the Scottish National Dictionary Association (SNDA) from 1931 to 1976 and documents the Modern (Lowland) Scots language. The original editor, William Grant, was the driving force b ...

'', because ''spoondrift'' is attested later than ''spindrift'' and it seems unlikely that the Scots spelling would have superseded the English one, and because the early use of the word in the form ''spenedrift'' by James Melville (1556–1614) is unlikely to have derived from ''spoondrift''. In any case, ''spindrift'' was popularized in England through its use in the novels of the Scottish-born author

William Black William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conq ...

(1841–1898). ''Spindrift'' or ''spoondrift'' is also used to refer to fine sand or snow that is blown off the ground by the wind.Spindrift
on '' Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary''. Retrieved 20 July 2008.

References

{{Reflist Wind Precipitation Oceanography