h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What is a 'clump' of mountains called? I'm talking something much smaller than a mountain *range*, maybe 3-10 distinct peaks, in close enough proximity that their bases merge above the "ground level" of the surrounding area. I've seen them, so I know they exist, but no word for a small grouping of mountains springs to mind.

Downs, Highlands, Uplands or Moorlands depending where you come from.

Alji.

From the French:

Massif (OED: n - a compact group of mountains)

It really makes me grin that a bunch of high things are called a Down. Must be because English isn't my first language

Do you know how to get down from a camel?


Geggs

If the slopes between them are fairly high, you can call them an arete.

Milla: in part of the peak District in the middle of England there are a few hills that are called Lows. One of them, that's a bit bigger than the rest, is called High Low.

"Down" meaning hill is an interesting one. It comes from "dun", meaning a fort or hill - it's related to "dune". It's where you get all these names in Ireland and Scotland like Dundrum, Dunfirmline, Dundalk, Dumbarton...

*giggles*

About down from a camel, wouldn't you have to get the fur off first?

The space between two peaks is a Saddle or Col. i live in the foothills of the Northern Range of mountains in Trinidad the main road through them is Saddle Road.

I'd say range is the general group noun but there's massif and also knot for a cluster of mountains e.g the Pamir Knot.

I would have thought "dun" was one of those Viking roots that crops up in place names. Is there a word in Swedish, Milla, which is something like that?

Aaah. Cluster. Knot.

Like Kidgoo Knot?

I thought I remembered an Old Norse root of dun/down, TC, but I think I may have been mistaken.

The hills.
Them hills over there.
High ground.

~jwf~

Knot is a lovely visual term for a little bunch of mountains. I quite like it!

Just come across another word: himal, from the Sanskrit for snows, for a cluster of mountains that surround/include a particularly prominent mountain e.g the Annapurna himal.

Not seen it used outside of the Himalayas but there's no reason it couldn't be.

Hmm. Any connection with "Himmel", I wonder.

I suppose you could call it a Rayburn, which is a small range...

By the way, this is what I have in mind:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152414698355137&set=a.10152414653520137.957235.626900136&type=3&theater
Sorry to anyone who doesn't have FB.
There are clearly multiple mountains here (it was more obvious when I was actually there, and the clouds weren't in the way) and yet they are also clearly of a piece, a single collection of mountains.