tomol means A planked boat used by the Chumash and Tongva peoples of California since pre-Columbian times, propelled by crouching occupants using paddles. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why “tomol” is a great word
TOMOL — [Noun] A planked canoe used by the Chumash and Tongva peoples of California for ocean fishing and travel since pre-Columbian times, propelled by paddlers in a crouching position. From a Chumashan language. Unlike a "dugout" (a single hollowed log) or a "kayak" (a sealed, skin-covered Arctic hull), the tomol is a crafted mosaic of planks, painstakingly sewn and caulked with asphaltum. It is the scent of tarred fiber and warm redwood, the rhythmic splash of paddles from a crouched stance, and the dark, oiled planks flexing against the swells—a floating architecture that quietly refutes the myth of primitive technology.
noun
- A planked boat used by the Chumash and Tongva peoples of California since pre-Columbian times, propelled by crouching occupants using paddles.“For this reason a better understanding of their earliest acquisition and the implications for the invention of the tomol require further analysis using the higher caliber "high-resolution" data.”