Hi Folks, I need your help! I’m currently working on my fantasy novel (I’ve been working on it for years and it’s still miles away from being posted here - not to speak of publishing). Doing so I’ve come across some word issues. In German we have a word called “kabbelig” - it’s nautical and describes the sea when the surface of the ocean is disturbed by wind in opposing directions, e.g. the waves aren’t all moving in the same direction but against one another. The surface is really chaotic and there’s a lot of sea foam. This here is the best picture I've found online (credits to the photographer!) https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbelige_See#/media/Datei:Nordsee-Ostsee.jpg I've been trying to use the discription in the texts but it sounds very rough and complicated so I'd prefer to use one word instead. However I can't really find a word that fits. Do you have any ideas? Thanks in Advance!
There is not a single word that would describe those waves, as far as I know. 'Pressure waves' are waves caused by flowing water over an uneven under-surface, against the wind. The word 'choppy' comes to mind.
I got a pretty good picture from your description, multiple-worded as it was - I'd say if there isn't a single word for this (and nothing comes to mind) you're pretty good to just describe.
Thanks I guess I'll have to see what I'm using in the end... funny though there doesn't seem to be a word for this
There is to a large extent. You've had two good ones already; turbulent and choppy. You could also go with 'rough'. I can't imagine it's important enough to seek any other words than those, as they describe the sea to which you refer.
The ability of a single word or phrase to convey a specific concept depends on the reader or listener both knowing the word(s) and having experiences that relate to the concept. In this case, the German word conveys an idea which is fairly complex and unlikely to be familiar enough to landlocked readers who have never seen the effects of crosswinds on a llarge enough liquid surface. Instead of looking for a ready-made word in the reader's language, I would therefore go for a metaphor that conveys not just the static appearance of chop, but a visceral sense of the cause: The warring sea winds buffeted the surface of the bay into battle-torn craters and foaming peaks
Hi guys and thanks for your suggestions. Since I've put away the original world I'll keep te scene merely as a translation - exercise (writing bilingual tis won't hurt, I guess). Still I'm unsure. The scene contains 2 sailors talking to one another about the sea and I guess they wouldn't really use many words to describe it. Rather something short explaining it real quick. Once I'm done with it I'll let you know what I picked.
for the best single word I would agree with @SamHeeple; choppy. If it's near a coastal feature, you might call it a race or tidal race - a disturbed sea caused by confused currents. Having sailed (and puked) through similar seas, comments were "all over the place", and "doesn't know what it's doing". You could also use phrases like "cut up by yesterday's storm", or "settling but not settled" My favourite would be "all over the place"
My question would be: Is the "kabbelig" state of the sea important for the story? If not, cut it and just describe the sea as 'choppy, turbulent and disturbed'. If it is important to the story, one of the sailors could straight up say "Sea's quite kabbelig today.", causing his mate to ask in irritation what "kabbelig" is. That way one of the sailors could explain what it means. As for the sailor knowing the term, he could have sailed together with German sailors in the past. Well, that's how I would do it.
"Baffling airs" is an older term used for crosswinds or changable ones but doesn't actually refer to the waves. It may just be one of those words that is unique!
