This month, my book club is reading Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult, an intriguing story about a teen, Jenna, who is trying to solve the ten year old mystery of her mother’s disappearance. One night, at the elephant sanctuary owned and operated by Jenna’s parents, a woman was found dead, potentially trampled. That same night, Jenna’s mom, Alice, was found unconscious. Alice received treatment at a nearby hospital and then disappeared. Jenna is convinced she’s still alive and recruits a psychic and a retired detective to find her.
Jenna’s mom is one of the alternating POVs in Leaving Time, and she shares much scientific info about elephants. Her notes are easy to read and relate to, as she is studying how elephants grieve. So far I’ve only come across one new word: allomother.
Although there are records of adoption within herds, the majority of allomothers will not nurse an orphaned calf; there is just not enough milk to go around without compromising their own biological offspring.
If you like learning about new words, join the Wondrous Words Wednesday meme, where bloggers share new words they’ve come across in their reading.
Allomother \ˈa-lə-ˌmə-thər\ noun from Greek allos other; allo- being one of a group whose members together constitute a structural unit + mother;
- an individual other than the biological mother of an offspring that performs the functions of a mother (as by caring for an infant temporarily). This phenomenon occurs among animals as well as humans (as when a grandmother takes over the care of a child when the child’s mother cannot do the job).
Interestingly, this word was first used in 1980. I wonder if changes in our society over the past several decades and the concurrent changes in the structure of the “typical” American family have brought about an increased number of “allomothers”. Or perhaps the phenomenon has existed for centuries, and we’ve just recently given it a name.
Word Nerd Workout
What scientific terms have you come across in your reading lately?
Thanks for getting nerdy with me today!
Didn’t know that one. And I’ve never actually read any of Jodi Picoult – now I feel like I should after your recent posts.
*adds more to the reading pile…*
Ha! Glad to “help”, I think? I understand your pain; my reading pile is becoming quite the tower.
Oh, I’ve read this book. Picoult always does interesting research into the fields that she’s trying to encapsulate in her novels.
Yes! I’ve enjoyed learning about elephants… it hasn’t been so much information that it’s dry, either.
A new and interesting word.
You raise an interesting question as to whether allomothering has been going on for long. My hunch is that it has, but that’s only my hunch. Interesting new word.
That’s a new word for me and I’m wondering if it’s pronounced just the way it looks. I can’t think of any new scientific words I’ve come across.
Yes, Kathy, pronounce it how it looks. 😉 Thanks for stopping by.