| The winds of the Mediterranean |
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Tramontane (/trəˈmɒnteɪn/trə-MON-tayn)[a] is a classical name for a northern wind. The exact form of the name and precise direction varies from country to country. The word came to English from Italiantramontana, which developed fromLatintrānsmontānus (trāns- +montānus), "beyond/across the mountains",[1][2][3] referring to theAlps in theNorth of Italy. The word has other non-wind-related senses: it can refer to anything that comes from, or anyone who lives on, the other side of mountains, or even more generally, anything seen as foreign, strange, or even barbarous.
InSpain the wind is called thetramuntana[tɾəmunˈtanə] or[tɾamunˈtana] inCatalan andtramontana[tɾamonˈtana] inSpanish,Galician andBasque. The wind also lends its name to theSerra de Tramuntana inMallorca. The wind is prevalent in the northern Mediterranean coast (Catalonia,Mallorca,Menorca) and can be so strong as to be disturbing; there is a saying in Catalan culture (specially inEmpordà) that refers to a person as «touched by tramuntana» (tocat per la tramuntana) when they behave oddly or seemly lost their marbles.Salvador Dalí was often referred to as someonetocat per la tramuntana in his nativeEmpordà.[4]
On theCroatian Adriatic coast it is calledtramontana (pronouncedtramòntāna,[tramǒntaːna] inDalmatia), with a number of local variations (termuntana,trmuntana,t(a)rmuntona and others). Likelevant, it is considered a transitional wind, associated with the change of weather, which frequently transforms intobora. Like bora, it is a strong wind capable of generating large waves, but is less gusty.[5][6][7]
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Thetramontane[tʁa.mɔ̃.tan] in France is a strong, dry cold wind from the north (on the Mediterranean) or from the northwest (in lowerLanguedoc, Roussillon,Catalonia and theBalearic Islands).[8] It is similar to themistral in its causes and effects, but it follows a different corridor; the tramontane accelerates as it passes between thePyrenees and theMassif Central, while the mistral flows down theRhone Valley between theAlps and the Massif Central.
The tramontane is created by the difference of pressure between the cold air of ahigh pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean or northwest Europe and a low pressure system over theGulf of Lion in the Mediterranean. The high-pressure air flows south, gathering speed as it moves downhill and is funnelled between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central.
According to French sources, the name was used in its present form at the end of the 13th century byMarco Polo, in 1298. It was borrowed from theLatintransmontanus and the Italiantramontana, meaning not just "across the mountains" but also "theNorth Star" (literally the star "above the mountains"), since the Alps marked the north for theItalic people. The French termtresmontaine, cited as early as 1209 and still used in the 15th century, was borrowed directly from the Latin.
The word moved from Latin into French with the meanings "North Star" and also "the guide". In 1636 the French expression "perdre la tramontane" meant "to be disorientated."[9][b]
The continuous howling noise of the tramontane is said to have a disturbing effect upon the psyche. In his poem "Gastibelza",Victor Hugo has the main character say, "Le vent qui vient à travers la montagne me rendra fou..." (The wind coming over the mountain will drive me mad...)
InGreece,tramountána (Greek:Τραμουντάνα)[tramuˈdana] is used as anautical term to define not only the northern wind, but also the northern direction and even the cardinal point of north on a compass.
In Italy it is calledtramontana[tramonˈtaːna]. It is a northeasterly or northerly winter wind that blows from the Alps andApennines (South of the Alps) to the Italian coast. It is very prevalent on the west coast of Italy and NorthernCorsica. It is caused by aweather system from the west following a depression on the Mediterranean, due to the minimum baric level in the Ligurian Sea between Genoa and Corsica, which recalls strong winds. It is strongest before sunrise, when it can reach speeds of 70 km/h (45 mph). It is a fresh wind of the fine weather mistral type.
A clear sky can occur, or a cloudy sky and precipitation when associated with a perturbed system. This last case is called inLiguria "dark Tramontane" (Tramontana Scura), which in Liguria is activated following the invortication of the perturbations coming from the west (or even south-west or north-west) on the Ligurian Sea; for this reason a proverb in the Ligurian language states:"tramuntann-a scüa, ægua següa" ("dark north wind, sure rain").
In Italy the expression on board, "to lose the Tramontane" (perdere la tramontana), which meant losing one's orientation, then has passed into the common language with the same metaphorical meaning.
InSlovenia a wordtramontana[tɾamɔnˈtáːna] is used for a strong northerly, oftenhurricane-force wind that blows from theAlps to theVenice bay overTrieste, Slovenian coast andIstria with gusts sometimes as high as 200 km/h (usually 80 km/h). It has a transitional nature (from 2 to 4 hours inKoper bay) and it often quickly turns to abora. Due to its strength, it can uproot trees and often damages boats by crashing them into the coast.[10][11][12][13][14]
Media related toTramontane wind at Wikimedia Commons
