It must be the summer weather that has me fixating on water word confusions . . .
In this post, I’m exploring firth vs fjord vs gulf, all three of which are inlets with a firth and a fjord similar linguistically (as are the Danish fiord, the Swedish fjärd, and the German Förde).
A firth is essentially the Scottish equivalent of a fjord, both created by glacial-created troughs that are partly submerged by the sea and characterized by steep sides or cliff.
A gulf has a wider range of possibilities in terms of width by length and can refer to varying sizes of bodies of water. Formed as a result of plate tectonics, a gulf is that portion of the sea that penetrates into land or a deep inlet to the sea that is partly surrounded by land. Some gulfs may include bays, bights, firths, sounds, and fjords.
In this post, I’m ignoring gulf as a transitive verb.
Exploring Later . . .
You may want to explore “Anchorage, Haven, Moorage, and Roadstead“, “Arroyo vs Coulee vs Wadi vs Wash“, “Bay vs Bight vs Cove“, “Bayou vs Bog vs Marsh vs Swamp“, “Beach vs Coast vs Shore“, “Born vs Borne vs Bourn“, “Brook vs Burn vs Draw vs Lick“, “Canal vs Impoundment vs Moat vs Reservoir“, “Cay vs Key vs Quay“, “Channel vs Dyke vs Rill“, “Creak versus Creek“, “Dam versus Damn“, “Delta vs Estuary vs Rapids vs Source“, “Dock vs Pier vs Wharf“, “Harbor vs Marina vs Port vs Quay“, “Lakes: Kettle, Loch, Mere, and Oxbow“, “Ocean versus Sea“, “Peer versus Pier“, “River vs Stream vs Tributary“, “Rivulet vs Runnel vs Sike“, “Sea versus See“, “Slew versus Slough“, and “Straight versus Strait“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Firth | Fjord | Gulf |
|---|---|---|
 — |
 |
 |
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Noun
Plural: firths Alternative spelling: frith, friths (the more common spelling before 1850) |
Noun
Plural: fjords Alternative spelling: fiord, fiords |
Noun
Plural: gulfs |
[Geography, especially in Scotland] A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs
|
A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs, as in Norway and Iceland, typically formed by submergence of a glaciated valley | A deep inlet of the sea almost surrounded by land, with a narrow mouth
A deep ravine, chasm, or abyss A large difference or division between two people or groups, or between viewpoints, concepts, or situations
|
| Examples: | ||
| The Moray Firth is one of the best places in Europe to see dolphins in the wild.
Firths are usually the lower part of an estuary, but are sometimes fjords. “There was a flag upon the castle, and ships moving or lying anchored in the firth; both of which, for as far away as they were, I could distinguish clearly; and both brought my country heart into my mouth” (Stevenson, chapt 2). “The West Wind reigns over the seas surrounding the coasts of these kingdoms; and from the gateways of the channels, from promontories as if from watch-towers, from estuaries of rivers as if from postern gates, from passage-ways, inlets, straits, firths, the garrison of the Isle and the crews of the ships going and returning look to the westward to judge by the varied splendours of his sunset mantle the mood of that arbitrary ruler” (Conrad). “Do you know — I’ve been looking it up — the Firth Of Clyde, where all the steel ships are built, isn’t half as wide as Oakland Creek down there, where all those old hulks lie?” (London). |
“In addition to the submerged tunnel, the Norwegians plan to dig a 17 mile-long tunnel beneath a 1,000 ft.-deep fjord” (Kuhar).
“Sailing through a maze of mountains and passing idyllic waterfalls and tranquil bays, a cruise is the perfect way to see the stunning sights of the beautiful fjords” (Explore). “If the geological formation is wider than it is long, it is not a fjord, but a bay or cove” (What). Norway has more than 1,000 fjords. “Puget Sound is a deep fjord estuary that lies within the broader Salish Sea” (Puget). The Lynn Canal is North America’s longest and deepest fjord. “A new study . . . shows that the noisiest places in the ocean are where glaciers in narrow sea inlets called fjords melt into the saltwater, thereby liberating underwater gushes of bubbles that were once trapped in the ice” (Pettit). |
1 a deep inlet of the sea almost surrounded by land, with a narrow mouth.
The Gulf of Mexico is a part of the Atlantic Ocean and bounded by the US, Mexico, and Cuba. Known as the Gulf States — Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman — these countries border on the Persian Gulf. The Gulf War is another name for the Iran–Iraq War. The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico parallel with the US coast toward Newfoundland, Canada, and then continues across the Atlantic Ocean toward northwestern Europe as the North Atlantic Drift. We must take into account the widening gulf between the rich and the poor. There is a wide gulf between theory and practice. |
| History of the Word: | ||
| Middle English (originally Scots), from the Old Norse fjǫrthr (see fjord). | Late 17th century, Norwegian, from the Old Norse fjǫrthr. Compare with firth. | Late Middle English from the Old French golfe, from the Italian golfo, based on the Greek kolpos meaning bosom, gulf. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Firth vs Fjord vs Gulf
Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.
Apple Dictionary.com
“Body of Water.” Wikipedia.org. 1 July 2023. Accessed 30 July 2023. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_of_water>.
Britannica: Gulf: Coastal Feature
Conrad, Joseph. The Mirror of the Sea. Originally published 1906. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015. <https://amzn.to/456IP4J>. Print.
“Explore the Gateway to the Norwegian Fjords.” Chester Chronicle. 19 July 2018. Accessed 30 July 2023.
The Free Dictionary: firth, fjord, gulf
Kuhar, Mark S. “A Road Beneath the Waves.” Rock Products. 23 May 2019. Accessed 30 July 2023. <https://rockproducts.com/2019/05/23/a-road-beneath-the-waves/>.
London, Jack. Burning Daylight. Originally published 1910. Bauer Books, 2019. <https://amzn.to/3KjWmxS>. Ebook.
Misachi, John. “What is the Difference Between a Bay, Gulf, Cove, and Fjord?” World Facts. World Atlas.com. 16 Mar 2018. Accessed 30 July 2023. <https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-difference-between-a-bay-gulf-cove-and-fjord.html>.
Pettit, Erin, Kevin Lee, Joel Brann, Jeffrey Nystuen, Preston Wilson, and Shad O’Neel. “Melting Glaciers Prove to be Noisiest Places in Ocean, Study Shows.” AGU.org. 5 Mar 2015. Accessed 30 July 2023. <https://news.agu.org/press-release/melting-glaciers-prove-to-be-noisiest-places-in-ocean-study-shows/>.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Kidnapped. Originally published 1886. SeaWolf Press, 2020. <https://amzn.to/3Ql9SW4>. Ebook.
“What is a Fjord?” Fjord Norway. 6 June 2023. Accessed 30 July 2023. <https://www.fjordnorway.com/en/inspiration/what-is-a-fjord>.
“What is Puget Sound?” Puget Sound Recovery. Puget Sound Partnership. n.d. Accessed 30 July 2023. <https://www.psp.wa.gov/puget-sound-recovery.php=>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Khor Fakkan, خورفكان, The Gulf of Oman by Vesna Middelkoop is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 11 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie