Word of the Day

veld\VELT\n. 1: a grassland especially of southern Africa usually with scattered shrubs or trees.

Example Sentence: "Less than 200 years ago, thousands upon thousands of quaggas roamed the grassy veld of southern Africa."

Did you know? "Veld: (also spelled "veldt") comes from Afrikaans, the language of the Afrikaners, the descendants of the Dutch and Huguenot people who settled in southern Africa in the 17th century. Literally, "veld" means "field," and is akin to "feld," the Old English predecessor of "field." English speakers adopted the Africa-specific sense of "veld" in the 19th century. "Veld" refers to open country in southern Africa. Different regions of "veld" are distinguished by their elevations. There is the Highveld, the Lowveld, and the Middle Veld, each with different geographical characteristics. Another term associated with "veld" is "kopje" (or "koppie" - both are pronounced KAH-pee). This word came to English from Afrikaans (and ultimately from a Dutch word meaning "small head" or "cup") and refers to a small hill, particularly one on the African veld.

My use: I would love to go see the African velds on a safari adventure.