Landmarks

Robert Macfarlane argues that the depletion of nature-specific terminology in modern dictionaries erodes our capacity to perceive and protect the physical environment. He compiles a series of glossaries containing local and dialect terms from across the British Isles, such as "smeuse" for a hole in a hedge made by an animal and "zwer" for the sound of a covey of partridges taking flight. Each chapter profiles a writer or thinker, such as Nan Shepherd or Roger Deakin, who used precise language to map the textures of moorlands, fens, and peaks.

Readers interested in the intersection of linguistics and ecology use this book to reclaim a sensory connection to the land. It provides a toolkit of nearly two thousand words that describe fleeting weather patterns, geological formations, and botanical details. The reader walks away with a refined vocabulary that allows them to name the specific features of their local landscape, shifting their perspective from a vague view of the countryside to a high-resolution understanding of the natural world.