A gulf is more than a gap

September 3rd, 2008 at 07:00am Barry Wood

There are many named gulfs around the world, from the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Venice, but two are so widely known that each can be referred to after first reference as “the Gulf” — the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Mexico.

Another thing they have in common, of course, is oil — which is why they’re in the news frequently. That and storms and wars.

Other gulfs come and go in the spotlight, but no other gulf rates this capitalized treatment.

The word “gulf” can be traced back to the Greek “kolpos,” which also meant “a fold” or “bosom.”

In addition to a large body of water, a gulf can be an eddy or whirlpool, or “a wide, deep chasm or abyss,” or “a wide or impassable gap or separation,” literal or figurative.

As a verb, “gulf” means to swallow. A more common verb is “engulf” for “to swallow up; overwhelm” or “to plunge, as into a gulf.”

The history of the Mideast has shown that it’s easy for nations to get engulfed in the Gulf.

Entry Filed under: capitalization, word origins