What’s the first thing that enters your head when you see this word? No, on second thoughts, don’t tell me. Unless, of course, the first thing that entered your head was the Latin word ‘spelunca’ and you immediately deduced that spelunking must have something to do with caves.
Hands up everyone who did Latin at school. I did. Not very well, mind you. My crowning glory was waking up mid-lesson and launching into a translation of some text about spears and caves before realising that everyone was looking at me not in admiration but amusement, because the teacher hadn’t asked me to translate at all, I’d merely dreamed he had.
My first introduction to Latin was some smart-arse at primary school who had learnt from his brother how to sing I Love You Love by Gary Glitter in the old language. (This was the early 70s.) ‘Amo amas, amas amare…’ Jeez, the things that stick in your mind. Brrrrrrrwgh.
They say Latin is a dead language. For me it went beyond death. In fact, there are parts of my brain that are still resurrecting. But one thing I do remember is that ‘spelunca’ means (or meant) cave. I’ve forgotten the word for spear – perhaps one of you can enlighten me – but spears and caves seemed to feature in just about every piece of Latin text I ever saw.
Strange really. I thought the Romans were more sophisticated than that. Where were all the texts about wine and aqueducts and orgies?
‘Spelunca’ sticks in the mind because it’s a beautifully euphonious word, as is its derivative ‘spelunking’, which, by the way, means ‘the exploration of caves’. A bit disappointing really. You want it to be more onomatopoeic than that, don’t you? I’ve not done a lot of cave exploring, on account of the fact that it seems silly to put yourself under tons of earth until you really have to, but I’m pretty sure that the sound cave explorers make is nothing like ‘spelunking’ – unless they fall into a sump and dink their melon on a stalagmite on the way in.
This week’s word was chosen while writing about things to do in Qatar for Conde Nast Traveller.
