THE LANGUAGE OF METEOROLOGY 273 



the name " isogram " itself. The latter, denoting a line that repre- 

 sents equality of some physical condition on a map or diagram (the 

 isotherm and the isobar being the most familiar examples, is a con- 

 venient generic term, the need of which must have been often felt long 

 before it was invented, in the year 1889, by Francis Galton. Yet to 

 this day it is unknown to most meteorological writers, who continue to 

 use an awkward periphrasis to express this every-day idea. 



Several meteorologists have drawn lines connecting places of equal 

 evaporation ; very few have ventured to give these lines a name. There 

 is no inconvenience in referring once or twice in a scientific memoir to a 

 " line of equal evaporation." Suppose, however, one needs to mention 

 the same thing fifty times. One is almost driven to the necessity of 

 substituting a single word for this long phrase; and thus certain 

 writers have, in fact, coined the terms " isoatmic line " and " iso- 

 thyme " ; but neither of these has gained currency in the habitual 

 vocabulary of meteorologists. 



In all, some eighty meteorological isograms have been named; but 

 of their names less than a score are generally familiar, and many are 

 almost completely forgotten. 



During the last two or three years the recognition of the importance 

 of the " barometric tendency " in weather forecasting has made us tol- 

 erably familiar with the " isallobar " ; but what of the " isallotherm " ? 

 Lines of equal temperature-change have been drawn on forecast charts 

 for a great many years. Their name, however, has just been invented, 

 and is hardly yet known to the practical forecaster. 



There is a marked reluctance on the part of contemporary men of 

 science to contribute to the scientific vocabulary. This is perhaps due 

 to the growing ignorance of the principles of etymology to which I have 

 already referred ; though it may be also the token of a reaction from the 

 pedantry of an older generation, which cumbered the language with 

 terms too labored for daily use, and often with names of things that 

 might well have been left nameless. 



I have in mind a number of lexical curiosities that furnish diver- 

 sion to any one who chances to read a memoir by A. Piche, " La 

 Meteorologie dans le Departement des Basses-Pyrenees." From this 

 work we learn that " meteorologistotheory " is the branch of science 

 dealing with meteorologists ; that " meteorologistopiry " has to do with 

 experiments in the training and organizing of meteorologists; that 

 " meteorologistonomy " relates to meteorological administration ; that 

 " meteorologistotechny " is the art of applying the laws relating to the 

 production of meteorologists, their arrangement into groups, and the 

 development of their labors ; that " meteorologistosophy " is the philo- 

 sophical study of meteorologists; etc. In short, M. Piche has stuck 

 pins through his meteorologists as if they were so many butterflies, and 

 has made them the subject of a new branch of natural history. His 



vol. lxxxii — 19. 



