Apr 21, 2010 16:46
14 yrs ago
English term
Adjective for the noun "plain"
Non-PRO
English
Other
Geography
I suspect there is none, but it would be great if there was...
Is there an adjective I can use to describe a town that is on a plain, similar to the adjective "coastal"?
Coastal and .......... towns
Or should I just say "towns on the coast and the plain"?
Thanks!
Is there an adjective I can use to describe a town that is on a plain, similar to the adjective "coastal"?
Coastal and .......... towns
Or should I just say "towns on the coast and the plain"?
Thanks!
Responses
| 4 +1 | plains |
David Russi
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| 3 +2 | lowland |
Tony M
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| 4 | coastal towns on or of the plain |
José J. Martínez
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Responses
+1
11 mins
David Russi
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United States
30+ years, stopped counting...
Native in: English 
, Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Selected
plains
towns on the coast and in the plains
towns in coastal and plains areas
towns in coastal and plains areas
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
British Diana
: I don't really like "plains areas" (although "plain areas" is out, I admit)
27 mins
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| neutral |
Tony M
: Same objection as Diana, but what's wrong with 'in/on the plain'? / 'in the plain' is fine, not ungrammatical at all: cf. 'in the mountains'
47 mins
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"in: the plain is ungrammatical; on the plain: which one? Saludos!
Ah, but "in the mountains" is different from "in the mountain", right? That is just how plains works, needs to be plural.
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| agree |
Stephanie Ezrol
: plains towns is used, as in "Bears spotted in Colo. foothills, plains towns"
1 hr
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks David, thanks everyone. I went for "in the plains".
Re the ungrammaticality of using of "plain" in the singular, what do you say to "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain"? :-)"
8 mins
José J. Martínez
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United States
ENSP, More than 30 years experience
Native in: English (Variant: US) , Spanish (Variant: Latin American)
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
coastal towns on or of the plain
it is your preference...
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Tony M
: I don't think either of those really works, especially as the context is 'and'; 'coastal towns' would have trouble being 'in the mountains', and 'of the plain' doesn't really sound very natural in EN
1 min
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I said on or of...take your pick...I live on a coastal town that is surrounded by mountains...if I have your email I will send you a pic.
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| neutral |
Kim Metzger
: town "of the plain"?
1 min
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I said on or of...take your pick...I live on a coastal town that is surrounded by mountains...if I have your email I will send you a pic.
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+2
8 mins
lowland
Although it's not perhaps exactly the same, I think this would do — especially in your specific context, where the juxtaposition with 'coastal' makes the situation patently clear.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
jccantrell
: lowlying might also work if it absolutely, positively HAD to be an adjective.
18 mins
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Thanks, J-C! But 'lowland' is an adj.? And it doesn't at all mean the same thing as 'low-lying', I fear
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| neutral |
British Diana
: plains are not necessarily lowlying, they are FLAT!/In my dictionary the Scottish lowlands are contrasted with the highlands, this makes them lower. My image of "a lowland town" is still not that of one on a plain. Any more suggestions?
28 mins
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Thanks, Diana! Yes, but 'lowland' doesn't mean 'low-lying', it just means 'not mountain' (and hence usually a bit flatter!)
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| agree |
Ildiko Santana
: "Ghana is a lowland country, except for range of hills on the eastern border. The sandy coastline is backed by a coastal plain.. In the west the plain is broken by.. hills... To the north lies an undulating savanna" (www.ghanahighcom.org.au/ataglance.htm)
2 hrs
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Thanks, ildiko!
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Discussion