pristine
adjective

- new, or almost new, and in very good condition

- belonging to the earliest period or original state

- not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as by civilization)

(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

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ORIGIN

Pristine originally meant "pertaining to the earliest period, primitive, ancient," and stems from the Middle French "pristine" and Latin "pristinus" meaning former. The sense of "unspoiled, untouched, pure" is from 1899.

We assume that humans have explored every corner of the earth. But there are still some pristine areas that are virtually untouched. Here are some of them:

Namibia is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. The southern African country gets its name from the Namib Desert and is home to the largest number of cheetahs — about 2,500 animals, or a quarter of the world's total cheetah population. With giant dunes, ancient petroglyphs, craters and waterfalls, Namibia is one of the most untouched landscapes in Africa. It's also one of the only countries to preserve the health of its ecosystem in its constitution.

Papua New Guinea is one of the most rural and least explored places in the world. Scientists believe that many of the world's undiscovered species of plants and animals exist in the jungle interior of the country. Exploitation of the country's vast natural resources has been hampered by rugged terrain, as well as the difficulties with the legal system and the high cost of developing infrastructure. Because of all these human problems, the landscape remains largely tough and untouched.

Daintree National Park in Far North Queensland, Australia, contains a 110 million-year-old rainforest, one of the oldest ecosystems on earth. The park is home to thousands of plant species and contains trees that are more than 2,500 years old.

Source: Our Amazing Planet

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SYNONYMS

immaculate, intact, natural, original, primal, pure, spotless, unpolluted, unsoiled, untouched

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Practice OWAD in an English conversation, say something like:

"Did you know the meaning of the word PRISTINE in Amanda Gorman's inauguration poem?"

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Thanks to Martin for today’s word,

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

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Paul Smith