pure wilderness or unspoilt wilderness

[kaloyan]

Hi,

I would like to ask you if you can say 'pure wilderness' and 'unspoilt wilderness'. Thank you in advance!

 

[Linguisticks]

"Unspoilt" is better. You can also say "untrammelled".

 

[Roxxxannne]

I think of 'untrammelled' as meaning 'not constrained' but perhaps that is a US - Australian difference.

But I agree that 'unspoilt' is better than 'pure' to describe wilderness. 'Pure' wilderness is a bit vague; it could mean a forested area with no 'additives' like swamps or ponds.

Another good word to describe wilderness is 'pristine.'

 

[Florentia52]

I would like to ask you if you can say 'pure wilderness' and 'unspoilt wilderness'. Thank you in advance!

Please give us the complete sentence in which you would use the phrase, and the context for it.

 

[Linguisticks]

I think of 'untrammelled' as meaning 'not constrained' but perhaps that is a US - Australian difference.

Yes - "not deprived of freedom of action or expression; not restricted or hampered" - OED. Interestingly, though, "untrammelled wilderness" is something of a set expression - if you enter it as an online search (within quotation marks), it brings up lots of hits, and not just for Australian websites. (The American spelling is "untrammeled")

 

[Cenzontle]

unspoilt = BE
unspoiled = AE

 

[Roxxxannne]

Yes - "not deprived of freedom of action or expression; not restricted or hampered" - OED. Interestingly, though, "untrammelled wilderness" is something of a set expression - if you enter it as an online search (within quotation marks), it brings up lots of hits, and not just for Australian websites. (The American spelling is "untrammeled")

Interesting. Thanks!