Vernacular name for clouds

[Isabelle Waine]

I’ve read a paper ‘Cloud Physiognomy: LORRAINE DASTON that  said the International Cloud Atlas before 1932 used to have the vernacular names of cloud types.  I wonder if there is a list online, over and above the usual ‘mackerel sky’.

[Hans Stocker]

Hello Isabelle, in the ICA itself is an appendix with the history of cloudnames:  History of cloud nomenclature .
I don’t find vernacular names in this appendix and according to me it seems that the use of Latin names started before 1932. There is also a Historical bibliography Historical bibliography and the History of the ICA .

Unfortunately the article you mention is not freely available. The abstract of the article emphasizes that “cloud classification depended crucially on description by omission” like “what caricature is for face recognition”. Interesting enough, but what role play vernicural names in this article? Do you have examples?

Hans

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