When you think of a hurricane, you may associate it with a lot of wind, rain, and possibly tornado. While the word hurricane is widely recognized around the world, it has an even deeper meaning and association. The hurricane meaning for the African woman may differ from those of Native America. We are going to take a look at the true meaning of hurricane and its origin.
Origin of the Word ‘Hurricane’
Native American
The etymology of the word hurricane is linked to the ancient Taino word hurakán, meaning ‘god of the storm’ dates back to a group of indigenous people in Native America that named the storm after the Caribbean god of evil. The Mayans associated this with the god of wind, storm, and fire. As Spanish explorers came through and started to occupy the land, the word quickly took form and evolved to the Spanish word huracán. By the mid-16th century, the word came to be as it is known today.
African Woman
There have been other interpretations of the true meaning of hurricane. The African woman, Her-ricane, is closely linked to the spirit of the African woman who was once beaten, stolen, raped, murdered, and thrown overboard from slave ships traveling across the Atlantic slave routes. This has been quickly linked to the fact that 85% of intense hurricanes affecting the United States and Canada originate from the Western African coastlines, according to a researcher from Tel Aviv University. These hurricanes typically travel along the same routes as the Atlantic Slave Trade during the exodus of Africa and land ashore the Caribbean and American coasts where slaves were brought.
Interesting Facts About Hurricanes
Hurricanes develop from tropical storms and are considered to be the largest storms on Earth. Once a tropical storm is classified as a hurricane, winds go as high as 74 mph or higher. In meteorology, hurricanes are the only storms that are given their names as if the storm takes on a life of its own. The most violent winds and heaviest of rains occur closest to the eye. Around the globe, hurricanes may be referred to as typhoons or cyclones depending upon where they occur. The hurricane season typically starts in June and ends in November when the air is the most humid and the water is the warmest.
What Science Says About Hurricanes
Since hurricanes require the right recipe of dryness and heat to develop, it is no surprise that many of these potentially dangerous storms are linked to the Sahara Desert. Considered to be one of the driest places on earth, the interaction of this climate forms an eastern wind that blows across from east to west across Africa. Combined with the atmospheric disturbances of the waves, many tropical waves develop into hurricanes in the following days to weeks. No matter what the origin of the word, the true meaning of hurricane is broken down into three simple ingredients. Moist air, warm waters, and the rotation of the Earth.
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