coulee etc.

[Mike Cleven]

janilta wrote:
>
> Mike,
>
> I am not sure whether the 'coulee's are similar in France and in
> America. Probably not since the landscape is different...
> Anyway, this is the same word, even if it describes different realities
> perhaps... as, let's say, 'prairie' f ex...
> No, I don't think there is any 'coulir' in French language (nor in Metis
> French either, but there is 'coulis' I mentioned earlier)... As we
> discussed before, 'couler' is 'to flow, run' and the 'flow' of the river
> carves a 'coulee' apparently.
> Everything's quite logical here.
> Btw, 'coulee's final sound is 'ay' not 'ee' in French.
> I did not know this 'couteau' thing (and ignore if the term exists in
> French with the same meaning). I guess it is 'couteau' because it is 'as
> sharp as a knife'...
> 'Couloir' as used in ski is another word even if it is probably built on
> the same word root. As you probably know, 'couloir' is corridor and thus
> lane.

The top of the ski run in question is indeed a narrow (and
extraordinarily steep) cut through the rocks; like jumping off a
building, only higher.....