The word to weave has some standard definitions in my Apple computer dictionary:
weave 1 |wēv|In the last month and a half, having been driven around in Mumbai, Cochin, Kerala, Kottayam, Bangalore, Karnataka, Mysore, Chennai, Ahmedabad and now New Delhi and Delhi, plus Harayana and Rajasthan - I can confidently add one more definition for the word "weaving".
verb ( past wove |wōv|; past part. woven |ˈwōvən|or wove) [ trans. ]
form (fabric or a fabric item) by interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them : linen was woven in the district.
• form (thread) into fabric in this way : some thick mohairs can be difficult to weave.
• [ intrans. ] [usu. as n. ] ( weaving) make fabric in this way typically by working at a loom : cotton spinning and weaving was done in mills.
• ( weave something into) include something as an integral part or element of (a woven fabric) : a gold pattern was woven into the material.
• make (basketwork or a wreath) by interlacing rods or flowers.
• make (a complex story or pattern) from a number of interconnected elements : he weaves colorful, cinematic plots.
• ( weave something into) include an element in (such a story or pattern) : interpretative comments are woven into the narrative.
noun [usu. with adj. ]
a particular style or manner in which something is woven : scarlet cloth of a very fine weave.
ORIGIN Old English wefan, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek huphē ‘web’ and Sanskrit ūrṇavābhi ‘spider,’ literally ‘wool-weaver.’ The current noun sense dates from the late 19th cent.
weave 2
verb [ intrans. ]
twist and turn from side to side while moving somewhere in order to avoid obstructions : he had to weave his way through the crowds.
• take evasive action in an aircraft, typically by moving it from side to side.
• (of a horse) repeatedly swing the head and forepart of the body from side to side (considered to be a vice).
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: probably from Old Norse veifa ‘to wave, brandish.’
That is "chaotic driving in India".
Unlike the beautiful and delicate patterns created by textile weaving, weaving in Indian traffic is a nightmare.
Yesterday, while driving back from Nim ka Thane in Rajasthan, we happened to follow a bus belonging to Sabharwal Travels, a travel company operating from New Delhi. The behaviour of the driver was astonishing.
The minute he was in a lane, he would signal that he was intending to move into the next lane. When he got into the next lane, he would signal that he was intending to move back to the lane he had just moved out of. This went on for almost the 40 km we were following him. It was obvious that he was least aware of the utter confusion he was adding to an already chaotic situation through his use of his blinking signals.
Everyone was weaving in and out from one lane to the next, to their own lane in between the lanes, to the verge lane, or wherever the car would fit, in between two cars, a bus and a car.
The horns were used perpetually, as if we were in a dodgem car track in a "Tivoli". The horn was the bumper and body protector.
Coming from a country where the horn is only used in a dire emergency, the constant sounding of the horn to tell the world, much like Enid Blytonäs Noddy: "Hey listen to me folks, I am also here!", is nothing but tragic.
This is noise pollution at its worst, and nobody seems to mind. Nobody even bothers to see that the "SILENCE ZONE" signboard is just up ahead!
If only people stuck to their lanes and drove within the terms as specified by the law, everyone would get to their destinations quicker, and in peace.
What people apparently do not undestand is that this constant weaving, braking, missing another car by a hair's breadth, all has a toll in slowing down the traffic into a metallic mess and causes the traffic to crawl.
Yes, I am sure that the new definition for "weaving" as "chaotic driving in India", is probably the best definition yet!
