Oolite

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Dr. Goodword
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Oolite

Postby Dr. Goodword » Tue Nov 02, 2021 6:47 pm

• oolite •


Pronunciation: o-wê-lait • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass

Meaning: Sedimentary limestone comprising small round grains (ooliths), resembling fish roe. Each oolith consists of calcium carbonate surrounding a grain of sand as its nucleus.

Notes: Here we have a word with very little use in colloquial conversation. I decided to make it a Good Word because of its unusual spelling and pronunciation. Oolite is made from ooids, which are usually formed under the sea, but may be seen on several beaches, including Joulter Cays,_Bahamas (see illustration). When subjected to geological pressure, these convert to ooliths, that glom together to form oolite. Oolite brings with it an adjective, oolitic (plus oolithic).

Image

In Play: Oolite may be partially uncovered from its scientific shroud in expressions like this: "Buried under other sediments for a long period, ooids may be fused into a solid mass of oolite." Oolite is made up of ooliths, which are formed rather like pearls, accumulating around a small fragment of sediment acting as a 'seed'."

Word History: Today's Good Word is a geological term comprising the German version of Greek oo(n)- "egg" + lith(os) "stone". English borrowed its word from German and, since there is no [th] sound in German, the word came to English as oolit. Greek oon was created from PIE owyo "egg", no doubt related to awi- "bird". It emerged in Welsh as uy, in Latin as ovum, in Russian as jaico, in Serbian as jaje (where J = Y) and in Armenian as yu—all meaning "egg". No one knows where Greek lithos came from. The Greek words leios "smooth" and litos "plain, simple" may be related for lithos may refer to finished smooth stones. Petros always refers to rough stones found in nature. Here the connection breaks down over the verb lithazein "to stone" since smooth finished stones were not required for stoning. (Thanks now to William Seeley, who found today's odd little Good Word and shared it with us.)
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David Myer
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Re: Oolite

Postby David Myer » Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:38 am

Not to be confused with Thrombolites
https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/site/lake- ... rombolites

We happened to be driving along a country road in Western Australia some months back and saw a rather unassuming sign indicating "Thrombolites". We were in no hurry so we turned off and went to see them. Quite extraordinary. Apparently they are living organisms of huge antiquity.

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Slava
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Re: Oolite

Postby Slava » Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:26 pm

Yep, gotta watch out for those thrombolites. They may be tiny and ancient, but they must be tricky. As the site warns:

"Do not leave cash or valuables in your car" :)
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

David Myer
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Re: Oolite

Postby David Myer » Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:20 am

Well spotted, Slava. And the sign is repeated in the car park which is a few hundred metres from the phenomenon. We were travelling with all our belongings in the car so were suitably intimidated by the notice. We were thankful that perhaps the sign itself was intimidating enough to deter the miscreants whose activity no doubt inspired the erection of the sign in the first place.


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