It is that time of the year when the air feels incredibly fresh, flowers bloom and the sky turns now clear, now cloudy. There is an air of wonder and anticipation for the much-awaited season, the blessed season that breathes life into the dry soil and replenishes the crops and plants — the monsoon. These days, most of South Asia, including our country, is getting monsoon rains. Some areas are under the spell of heavy rains, while others are getting drizzles.

Rain is a blessing; it brings joy and breathes life into all living things. But for many people, without a proper roof or even the necessities, this blessing turns into a nuisance. In times like these, we must be mindful of the people around us and note if maybe someone close by needs a hand.

Below are some aspects of the monsoon rains that we rarely think about. Let’s take a quick look.

What’s in a name?

A lot, yes, a name carries a lot. It tells us about a thing, a person or whatever is being discussed. While researching the topic, I discovered that the word ‘monsoon’ has taken quite a journey through languages and across oceans before settling into our vocabulary.

It all began with the Arabic word ‘mausim’, which means “season.” Centuries ago, when the ancient Arabic sailors navigated the Indian Ocean and the Arabic Sea, they didn’t just see seasons as change in months on a calendar. They watched the winds change and knew exactly when it was safe to sail. They observed those seasonal wind shifts that often-brought heavy rains along with them.

In the 16th century, when the Portuguese arrived in India, they picked up the word ‘mausim’ and turned it into ‘moncao’ and from there, English speakers turned it into the word we know today as monsoon.

Monsoon is a global phenomenon. Science explains it as happening in tropical and subtropical regions where land heats up faster than the ocean, causing massive wind shifts and seasonal rain patterns.

Some major monsoon zones are: South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka):........

© Dawn Young Magazine