Editing Caving (section)

== Etymology ==
The term ''potholing'' refers to the act of exploring ''potholes'', a word originating in the north of [[England]] for predominantly [[vertical caving|vertical caves]].[[File:Caveman-ic.jpg|thumb|upright|Caving in the north of [[England]]]]
[[Clay Perry]], an American caver of the 1940s, wrote about a group of men and boys who explored and studied caves throughout [[New England]]. This group referred to themselves as ''spelunkers'', a term derived<ref>{{OEtymD|spelunk}}</ref> from the [[Latin]] ''{{lang|la|spēlunca}}'' ("cave, cavern, den").<ref>{{L&S|spelunca|ref}}</ref> This is regarded as the first use of the word in the [[Americas]]. Throughout the 1950s, ''spelunking'' was the general term used for exploring caves in [[American English|US English]]. It was used freely, without any positive or negative connotations, although only rarely outside the US.

In the 1960s, the terms ''spelunking'' and ''spelunker'' began to be considered [[wiktionary:déclassé|déclassé]] among experienced enthusiasts. In 1985, Steve Knutson&nbsp;– editor of the [[National Speleological Society]] (NSS) publication ''American Caving Accidents''&nbsp;– made the following distinction:

{{Blockquote|…Note that (in this case) the term 'spelunker' denotes someone untrained and unknowledgeable in current exploration techniques, and 'caver' is for those who are.}}

This sentiment is exemplified by [[bumper sticker]]s and T-shirts displayed by some cavers: "Cavers rescue spelunkers". Nevertheless, outside the caving community, "spelunking" and "spelunkers" predominately remain neutral terms referring to the practice and practitioners, without any respect to skill level.