Drumlin
/ˈdrʌm.lɪn/noun
A long, low, smooth hill formed by glacial ice or till.
Did you know?Drumlin is a loanword from Irish Gaelic, and its geological meaning was only added in the 19th century after English speakers borrowed the word for these eerie, teardrop-shaped landforms.
Etymological Timeline
Irish Gaelic
Gaeilge
druimlín
“a little ridge or small back-like hump”
Early Modern Irish
Gaeilge
druim
“back, ridge, spine”
Proto-Celtic
PCelt
*druwos / *droumos
“back, ridge”
19th Century
English
drumlin
“a small ridge or hill, especially a glacial hill”
Modern English
English
drumlin
“a long, low hill formed by glacial action”