Landscape

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈlan(d)skeɪp/

Definitions

1. A view or expanse of scenery, typically of natural features like mountains, valleys, and fields as seen from a single viewpoint
2. A depiction of an area that integrates both natural and human-made features, representing the physical characteristics and aesthetic quality of the environment
3. A region or area characterized by its geographic elements, both natural and man-made, that contribute to its overall appearance and charm

Etymology: Long before it meant a painted or scenic view, "landscape" was a plain term for a district of land. Its Old English ancestor, "landsċipe" or "landsċeap," denoted a region or tract of ground, and the "-ship" ending is the same suffix found in "friendship" or "hardship," originally meaning a state, condition, or quality. So the word's earliest sense was closer to "land-state" than to anything you would hang on a wall. The modern sense of scenery came from Dutch painting. Dutch "landschap" referred to a region, but when artists began producing pictures of rural countryside, the word was borrowed into English in the late 1500s with that pictorial meaning. The English word, which had been drifting toward "landskip" in spelling, was then reshaped under Dutch influence into the form we use today. Its German cousin "Landschaft" follows a similar path, so the same ancient idea of a district underlies many northern European words for countryside.

Synonyms: scenery, view, topography, vista

Antonyms: urban, cityscape