alphorn

Why this word is great

ALPHORN — [Noun] A long, curved, wooden horn used by mountain-dwelling herders in the Alps, originally to call cattle but now primarily as a musical instrument in classical and folk music. From German Alphorn, from Alpen ("Alps") + Horn ("horn"). Unlike the "bugle" (a brass instrument of war and ceremony, sharp and regimented) or the "didgeridoo" (an earthy drone from distant red deserts), the alphorn is the voice of the high meadows, carved from the very trees that cling to the slopes. It is the sound of a herdsman’s call echoing across glacial valleys, the deep, resonant notes trembling over alpine lakes at dawn, the way its song seems to pull the mountains closer—proof that even the loneliest places can sing.