Oh my word Vet, Wet, Whet

Vet has two distinct meanings. Vet is short form or an abbreviation for veterinarian or veterinary surgeon. And in the US, vet refers to a veteran. Vet as verb refers to examine somebody’s past record, qualifications. Many organizations vet the prospective employees’ track record before appointing them.

The government of India vets people’s record before appointing them for political and bureaucratic postings. I was vetted before I was appointed as the Media Adviser. Journalists are vetted before their appointment. Whet means to sharpen a tool such as a knife, an axe, scythe, chisel and other tools that have sharp edges and are used to cut or chop.

There are itinerant vendors across Indian towns who make a living by whetting the knives especial in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Whet also refers to something that excites or stimulates one’s interest, desire, appetite for someone or something. Whet is a verb, other verb forms are whetted, whetting.

Whetstone is a stone used for sharpening tools such knives, axes and scythes. What is that that whets your appetite to travel? Exotic landscapes, ancient cultures that exist in the Internet-era, local cuisine whet me to travel. Whet is pronounced as ‘hwet’.

Who would not like to get wet on a summery day in India?

Wet means covered or soaked or moistened with water.wet has many meanings and also functions as a verb (moisten, irrigate, humidify), adjective (damp, soaked, drenched, watery, , clammy; also refers to being soft, weak, ineffectual), and noun (wet weather, wetness, calmness, rain, rains).

Wetness is a noun: The wetness in the soil is vital for the mango trees to grow luxuriantly, and a moderate amount of sunshine. Wetly is an adjective: The movie star’s custom-made trench coat glistened wetly to the touch of drizzle. Wet dream is the one which causes emission of semen.

Wetlands is a marshy area where one can find wetland birds. India’s 5% of the land is covered with wetlands. Wetlands are delicate ecosystems but under threat due to pollution and human encroachment. Chirapunjee is one of the wettest places in the world; it holds the all-time record for the most rainfall in a calendar month and in a year.

Wet is an adjective, its superlatives are wetter, wettest. Mawsynram in Meghalaya of India, 65 kilometres from Shillong, is the wettest place on Earth but that claim is disputed by Lloro, Colombia.

Kovuuri G Reddy