Talk:Wadi

Wadi
Hi! I find the sentence about what geographers find an "incorrect usage" confusing. The use of oasis as replacement for wadi? Or "wadi" itself? Could it be improved for clarity? maye 11:46, 13 March 2006 (UTC)
 * I deleted the "wadi = oasis" paragraph. The word "oasis" came via Greek from Ancient Egyptian and originally was a proper-name for the Siwa oasis in Egypt. I have never seen "wadi" used to mean "oasis". Anthony Appleyard 06:05, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

I'm a new user so am afraid to make a potentially controversial edit, but is the "also, a rare breed of the bird family" sentence a joke? I've never heard of it, and can't find any other references online or in my bird reference books. Pit-trout 21:00, 6 May 2007 (UTC)
 * I also think we should delete that section or qualify it with some form of citation. Mmkaram 03:59, 21 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Regardless of the words' origins, the English word oasis is a near synonym. Kortoso (talk) 23:22, 15 June 2016 (UTC)

Damming to retain desert floodwaters?
Have there been any efforts to construct experimental water retention dams across these desert flash flood channels, to retain water from the flooding? It would seem beneficial to build a series of stepped dams all the way down the channel to create a series of retention ponds, one after the other every kilometer or so, to retain floodwaters after the torrential rains to give the water time to soak in and help increase local water supplies.

Otherwise with nothing to stop the water in the channel, the torrential rains rapidly flow downstream and the region quickly reverts to its arid state after the rains.

DMahalko (talk) 07:28, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

Wadis in Oman
Wadis in Oman —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.61.164.27 (talk) 10:10, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

Rivier
It is not true that in "southwestern Africa" the term "rivier" is used for a wadi. People in the region predominatly speak Afrikaans and "rivier" is the Afrikaans word for river - any river, whether a huge one such as the Mississippi or a dry river bed. Rui &#39;&#39;Gabriel&#39;&#39; Correia (talk) 11:58, 29 June 2011 (UTC)

External links modified (January 2018)
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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120701172107/http://www.guadalajara.es/recursos/doc/Turismo/Guias/32521_2222201291352.pdf to http://www.guadalajara.es/recursos/doc/Turismo/Guias/32521_2222201291352.pdf
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20090404004918/http://www.acsad.org/Departments.asp?depid=2 to http://www.acsad.org/Departments.asp?depid=2

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Meaning of wadi and/or possible merge with arroyo
In the lead of this article, Wadi is explained as primarily meaning a valley. The article then notes that it may sometimes mean a ephemeral riverbed that has water only during a heavy rain, as a secondary meaning. Much of the article content backs that up. However, in the Etymology heading of the article it explains Wadi as meaning a permanent river. There appears to be some conflict here. Maybe we need to harmonize?

I note that Webster's Unabridged dictionary defines the primary meaning of Wadi as "usually dry except during the rainy season." Further, Encyclopedia Britannica also shows this as being the primary way to explain Wadi. Neither mentions permanent river as a use of the term.

I also wonder if we should merge this article with Arroyo (creek) as they will be very similar. I note Britannica has a single article to cover both "Wadi" and "Arroyo" and indicates they are the same thing. Not that we have to follow after them of course, but it is a good indication.

I didn't make any changes yet as I think this needs more research, consideration, and community discussion.

Sources for my comment:

What does the community think? Desertborn (talk) 15:51, 14 April 2019 (UTC)

Oppose Not an improvement. Wadi is a specific Arabic term. 2001:8003:913E:5D01:7552:11BC:FE4E:D8DE (talk) 05:20, 28 February 2023 (UTC)

Oppose per the above. Throughout the entire Middle East region, wadis are wadis. You can't just erase them because you found a synonym. Grief. Best Alexandermcnabb (talk) 06:01, 28 February 2023 (UTC)

On behalf of the arroyos, I also oppose — linking from another article about the "the shootout took place in chaparral-filled arroyo" and linking to wadi would be very odd. These things aren't just interchangeable geographical landforms they have site-specific cultural and ecological associations. jengod (talk) 13:54, 28 February 2023 (UTC)