Landau

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈlæn.dɔː/

Definitions

1. A four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a convertible top that can be opened in two sections
2. A type of carriage featuring two separate folding tops that allows for an open or enclosed experience while being drawn by horses
3. This carriage design includes a retractable canopy divided into front and rear sections for versatile usage

Etymology: The landau is named for a town, not a person or a process. Landau is a city in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and it was there that carriages of this design were first made, so the vehicle took the city's name much as a fabric might take its place of origin. The German form "Landauer" is the same name with a suffix attached, and it is the closer relative of the English word. The carriage itself was a practical solution to a common problem. Its top could be folded back in two separate sections, letting passengers ride either under cover or in the open air depending on the weather, which is why the design is so often described as a convertible. The word spread into English through this sense of a specific vehicle, and it remains a term for that particular kind of carriage rather than a general one for any open or folding coach.