Glen

Glen

A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. The word comes from the Irish language/Scottish Gaelic language word "gleann", or "glion" in Manx. In Manx, "glan" is also to be found meaning glen. As the name of a river, it is thought to derive from the Welsh language "glan" meaning clean, or "gleindid" meaning purity.

In the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, the southern ends of Seneca and Cayuga in particular are etched with glens, although in this region the term "glen" refers most frequently to a narrow gorge, as opposed to a wider valley. The steep hills surrounding these lakes are filled with loose shale from glacial moraines. This material has eroded over the past 10,000 years to produce beautiful rocky glens (e.g., Watkins Glen and Treman State Parks) and waterfalls as rainfall has descended toward the lakes below.

The designation "glen" also occurs often in place names such as Great Glen in Scotland, Glenrothes in Fife, Scotland, Glendalough in Ireland, Glengowrie in Australia, Glen Norman in Canada and Glen Waverley in Australia.


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  • Glen — ist: ein männlicher Vorname, siehe Glenn Glen ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Cornell Glen (* 1981), Fußballspieler aus Trinidad und Tobago Emery Glen, US amerikanischer Bluessänger der 1920er Jahre Esther Glen (1881–1940),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • glen — glen; glen·gar·ry; glen·liv·et; glen·ur·quhart; ruth·er·glen; glen·liv·at; …   English syllables

  • Glen — Glen, n. [Of Celtic origin; cf. W. glyn a deep valley, Ir. & Gael. gleann valley, glen.] A secluded and narrow valley; a dale; a depression between hills. [1913 Webster] And wooes the widow s daughter of the glen. Spenser …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Glen — Glen, MS U.S. town in Mississippi Population (2000): 286 Housing Units (2000): 133 Land area (2000): 4.679696 sq. miles (12.120357 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.006543 sq. miles (0.016947 sq. km) Total area (2000): 4.686239 sq. miles (12.137304 sq …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Glen, MS — U.S. town in Mississippi Population (2000): 286 Housing Units (2000): 133 Land area (2000): 4.679696 sq. miles (12.120357 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.006543 sq. miles (0.016947 sq. km) Total area (2000): 4.686239 sq. miles (12.137304 sq. km)… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Glen —   [glen], schottische Bezeichnung für ein glazial überformtes Tal; in Irland Glean, in Wales Glyn genannt.   …   Universal-Lexikon

  • glen — [glen] n [Date: 1400 1500; : Scottish Gaelic; Origin: glenn] a deep narrow valley in Scotland or Ireland …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Glen — das; s, s <aus schott. engl. glen »Tal, enge Bergschlucht«> schott. Bez. für ein ↑glazial überformtes Tal …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • glen — [ glen ] noun count BRITISH a valley, especially in Scotland …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • glen — narrow valley, late 15c., from Scottish, from Gaelic gleann mountain valley (Cf. O.Ir. glenn, Welsh glyn). Common in place names; Cf. Glenlivet (1822), a kind of whiskey, named for the place it was first made (lit. the glen of the Livet, a… …   Etymology dictionary

  • glen — [glen] n. [ME < Late MScot < Gael * glenn (now gleann), mountain valley, akin to Welsh glyn] a narrow, secluded valley …   English World dictionary

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