Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[bray]

Ｉ'm very intersting about the two words,
typhoon and hurricane
what different about that?
and why Tropical Cyclone has different name in the different area?

[bud]

Bray, they are the same thing except that hurricanes are born in the Atlantic Ocean and typhoons originate in the Pacific. I don't know why that distinction is made. Neither do I know why we name them - maybe it's because it gives them more importance and then people will be more apt to take precautions. That's just a guess, though.

[Lorikeet]

Wikipedia explains that hurricane "Originally derived from the word hurac�n from the Caribbean Taino Amerindian language (and first adopted into Spanish)....In the United States of America, Hurricane is the name assigned specifically to a tropical cyclone of sufficient intensity in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins."

Also found here: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hurricane

"Pacific typhoon refers to tropical cyclones forming in the northwestern Pacific Ocean."

The etymology of the word "typhoon" is interesting, and can be read here:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=typhoon