Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
mirage , especially one seen in the Strait of Messina
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Italian, mirage, Morgan le Fay (from the belief that the mirage was caused by her witchcraft) : fata, fairy (from Vulgar Latin *fāta, goddess of fate; see fairy) + Morgana, Morgan le Fay; akin to Medieval Latin Morgen (ultimately of Celtic origin ; perhaps akin to Old Irish Morrígan, a powerful, often sinister female supernatural being of Irish myth).]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Italian translation of Morgan le Fay (fata ("fairy"))
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Examples
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whichbe commented on the word fata morgana
Noun.
1. An optical phenomenon that creates the illusion of water, often with inverted reflections of distant objects, and results from distortion of light by alternate layers of hot and cool air.
2. Something illusory or insubstantial.
May 13, 2008
seanahan commented on the word fata morgana
A cool etymology.
May 14, 2008
bilby commented on the word fata morgana
My guess was Arabic. Hmmm, only about 30% maybe! In Indonesian it is written as a single word, fatamorgana, with the same meaning, ie. mirage.
May 14, 2008
reallifepixel commented on the word fata morgana
June 10, 2009
rolig commented on the word fata morgana
One of my favorite passages from Pasternak, from the poem that begins "Се�?тра мо�? — жизнь…" ("My sister – life…"):
Мига�?, морга�?, но �?п�?т где–то �?ладко,
И фата–морганой любима�? �?пит
Тем ча�?ом, как �?ердце, плеща по площадкам,
Вагонными дверцами �?ыплет в �?тепи.
And here's a more or less serviceable translation:
Winking, blinking, people sleep sweetly somewhere,
and my love, like a fata-morgana, sleeps,
while my heart, splashing across train platforms,
scatters carriage doors over the steppe.
June 10, 2009
reesetee commented on the word fata morgana
Very nice. :-)
June 10, 2009
jfk commented on the word fata morgana
reallifepixel's missing link
June 11, 2009
johanna commented on the word fata morgana
the original word refers to morgan la fee fata-the act or action; morgana- of a fairy or witch she was king arthur's sister. historically a 'pagan' or goddess worshipper.
she has is NO responsibility for the italian optical illusion.
a fata morgana can refer simply to a " magical act " or a "magical occurence"
August 8, 2009