A monsoon is a seasonal wind pattern that brings heavy rains to certain regions, especially South Asia. People often use the word to describe the rainy season itself and the intense downpours that come with it.
From Portuguese “monção,” from Arabic “mawsim,” meaning “season” or “time of year,” especially for sailing. The word shifted from referring to seasonal winds to the rains those winds bring.
Monsoon originally just meant ‘season,’ especially for sailors timing their voyages. It shows how closely people watched the sky and winds long before satellites—your calendar and the climate were once literally the same conversation.
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