It's really not surprising that media people and other non-cavers tend to think that "spelunker" is a technical term for "caver". They hear cavers refer to the scientific study of caves as "speleology" and to the scientists who do it as "speleologists". Similarly, they notice that cavers often favor the term "speleological" when naming their official organizations (NSS, TSA, TSS, etc.). Since "spelunker" more closely resembles these technical sounding terms than does the word "caver", people outside the caving community naturally assume that "spelunker" is the more technical, formal, and preferred term and that "caver" is merely an informal slang word, perhaps with less respectful connotations. Little do they know that most cavers prefer not to be called spelunkers.
The reason for this misunderstanding between cavers and the outside world is that, for decades, cavers have been too embarrassed to explain the etymology of "spelunker" and how it differs from that of all the technical sounding speleo-whatever words. Cavers like words beginning with "speleo" because this prefix has a long history of favorable associations with caves and caving. In contrast, words beginning with "spelunk" have less favorable connotations, because "speeeeelunk" is the sound made by a caver falling down a pit and splattering onto the floor below. Hence, "spelunking" is the act of making this sound, and a "spelunker" is a caver who does it, so no self respecting caver would ever want to become known as a spelunker! Embarrassment over this etymology of "spelunker" not only has made cavers reluctant to explain it to the outside world, but it also has made a lot of old time cavers reluctant to explain it to subsequent generations. Consequently, all that was effectively passed down through the generations was a seemingly inexplicable aversion to the term, leading to a lot of vague hand waving and speculation among current cavers about why none of them like to be called "spelunkers". That, essentially, is the explanation I heard from a few older cavers back when I started caving about 40 years ago, and I haven't heard a better one since. So that's my story, and I'm sticking to it, at least, until I hear someone concoct a better one. ;) Rod -----Original Message----- >From: David <dlocklea...@gmail.com> >Sent: Apr 19, 2010 2:39 AM >To: Cavers Texas <texascavers@texascavers.com> >Subject: [Texascavers] spelunker again > >The writer of the article below has a new twist on the term "spelunker." > >http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/710486-196/wns-depresses-cavers-leaves-others-puzzled.html?i=1 > >Note, he claims it is the "technical term," for caving. > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >Visit our website: http://texascavers.com >To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com >For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com > --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
