glamping
noun

- a form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping

- outdoor camping with amenities and comforts (such as beds, electricity, and access to indoor plumbing) not usually used when camping

Oxford Languages / Merriam-Webster

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WORD ORIGINS

The word “camp” is from 1520s, “a place where an army lodges temporarily”, from French camp, in this sense from Italian campo, from Latin campus “an open field, a level space”, especially “an open space for military exercise”.

“Glamping”, a combination of “glamorous” and “camping”, first appeared in the United Kingdom in 2005 and was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016. The word is new, but the concept of luxurious tent-living has a long history.

An alternative term for “glamping” is “boutique camping”.

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EXTRAVAGANT CAMPING

Perhaps the most extravagant example of palatial tent-living in history was the ‘Field of the Cloth of Gold’, a diplomatic summit in 1520 between Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France in northern France. Some 2,800 tents and marquees were erected, and fountains ran with red wine.

Some 400 years later, in the 1920s, an African safari became “the thing to do” among wealthy Americans and British. Wealthy travelers, even those in search of adventure, were not willing to sacrifice comfort or luxury. From electric generators, to folding baths, and cases of champagne, travelers were afforded every domestic luxury while on adventure.

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“How about a creative vacation that connects with Mother Nature? GLAMPING’ – short for ‘glamorous camping’ – promises comfort with eco-friendliness."

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THANKS to Benedikt for suggesting today’s word.

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HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

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and,

Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40