O «λογχισμένος ορίζοντας» της Νέας Υόρκης

[Theseus]

What is the best English translation of this term? I know the meaning of λογχίζω but I have seen this term used of New York and Carpathos:

Προσφέρει απλόχερα τα απείραχτα συγκλονιστικά τοπία του, λογχισμένα από την αγριάδα του ανέμου

 

[daeman]

...
lanced / slashed (σπαθοκομμένος), or even pierced, for the horizon cut by the New York skyline.

But for Karpathos I'd go with whipped or lashed, since I don't really get or like the use of λογχισμένα in that sentence.

 

[Theseus]

Thanks, 'Man. I thought the use in the tourist blurb about Karpathos of λογχιασμένος was odd. Η Καθημερινή's headline was obviously a different question. It seems to be a chameleon-like word. :)

 

[daeman]

... It seems to be a chameleon-like word. :)

The word is clear-cut, sharply defined. Its use, on the other hand, seems not so in some hands.

 

[pontios]

...But for Karpathos I'd go with whipped or lashed, since I don't really get or like the use of λογχισμένα in that sentence.

Maybe it means "hewn or roughly-hewn"/"roughly chiseled/hacked (away)" - as in the landscape was roughly cut and shaped (you could say mercilessly so, by the wild winds) - giving rise to the bleak, rugged landscape?

 

[Severus]

As far as New York's skyline is concerned, I think that «λογχισμένος ορίζοντας» in this case refers to the skyscrapers of the City that have long spires on their very top. Therefore, I would suggest "spire-spiked skyline" with around 40 results on Google.

Also used in a Telegraph article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/d...ness-Scenery-log-fires-and-a-decent-dram.html

or dominated by spires

 

[daeman]

Maybe it means "hewn or roughly-hewn"/"roughly chiseled/hacked (away)" - as in the landscape was roughly cut and shaped (you could say mercilessly so, by the wild winds) - giving rise to the bleak, rugged landscape?

I guess so, too, but if that's what they mean, that's what they should write: σκαμμένο, πελεκημένο, λαξεμένο, etc.
Mercilessly or not, I'd prefer something implying duration, a repeated action over time, because λογχισμένο implies a wound inflicted in an instant.

...
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”