This list of terms is substantially longer than that included in Speleo Handbook (1968). The increase reflects the greater depth and breadth of interest of Australian speleologists in caves and their surroundings. It remains a highly selective list of terms recommended for use in particular ways by Australians and it does not purport to gather comprehensively actual usage, good, bad and indifferent. For more complete collections of terms the following publications are the most useful:
W.H. Monroe 1970 A Glossary of Karst Terminology. U.S. Geological
Survey Water Supply Paper 1899K.
H. Trimmel 1965 Speläologisches Fachwörterbuch. Third
International Speleological Congress. Vol. C.
P. Fénelon 1968 Vocabulaire français des
phénomènes karstiques.
Mémoirs et Documents du Centre Documentaire Cartographique et
Géographique, 4: 193-282.
C.A. Hill 1976 Cave Minerals. National Speleological Society,
Huntsville.
English equivalents of foreign terms have been preferred except where the latter have long-established and agreed usage or where there is no precise counterpart in English. Amongst English words, simple Anglo-Saxon words are preferred to new inventions from Greek and Latin roots. Some terms which have markedly conflicting and confusing usages either within Australia or abroad or between Australia and abroad are omitted as the best deterrent to their further employment here. A very few terms not yet in common use have been introduced where these offer the opportunity of avoiding conflicting usages of other words which need to be retained despite this. A preliminary list was circulated to the ASF clubs and to a number of individuals for comment. The final list reflects very much suggestions from and discussions with the following:
E.G. ANDERSON, W.J. COUNSELL, J.R. DUNKLEY, JULIA M. JAMES, G.S. HUNT, D.C. LOWRY, P.G. MATTHEWS, N. MONTGOMERY, G.J. MIDDLETON, A. PAVEY, AOLA M. RICHARDS, T.M. WIGLEY, and the National University Caving Club.
It must not be thought, however, that these helpers agree with the composition of the list or with every definition. Nor in a sense do I since I have allowed my own opinion to be overruled in many cases, though I have dug my toes in over some. No selection will please everybody, still less the meanings given to those chosen, but to assemble all terms and usages would not only result in a volume to itself but might confuse more cavers than it would assist.