sky island
n.— «As breezes from the Gulf of Mexico lift over the Chiricahua Mountains, an exceptional amount of rain falls on this desert region, which has bee aptly called a “sky island.” The volcanic soil among the rock and ample shade produce an ideal microclimate for lush vegetation. Birds, animals, insects and reptiles live exceedingly well in such salubrious surroundings.» —“The Nameless Rocks in Arizona’s ‘Sky Island’” in Wilcox, Arizona New York Times Nov. 2, 1969. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ever wonder what medieval England looked and sounded like? In Old English, the word hord meant “treasure” and your wordhord was the treasure of words locked up inside you. A delightful new book uses the language of that period to create...
Centuries ago, monks who took a vow of silence developed their own hand signs, with hundreds of gestures, that are still in use today. Plus, how do speakers of different languages distinguish similar shades and tints of colors such as red, yellow...