The itinerant adjective is used to indicate that something or someone moves regularly. This word comes from Latin and literally means “going from one place to another.” In Spanish there are several synonyms that we can use: nomad, itinerant, wandering or migratory.
In any activity in which it is necessary to move, a route or route must be followed, that is, an itinerary. For the path to travel to make sense, some type of support or support tool is necessary, be it a map, a GPS device, a compass or simply a good sense of direction.
In relation to people
When man began to master agricultural techniques, he abandoned nomadism and became sedentary. This general rule has some exceptions, since there are currently nomadic peoples, such as the Tuaregs of the Sahara desert or the Eskimos of Greenland.
It is worth remembering that some peoples in the Amazon basin practice a type of shifting agriculture, since when the soil is no longer fertile they are forced to move to other places.
Certain professional activities are characterized precisely by being carried out on an itinerant basis
Street vendors or merchants, postmen, drivers or fairground vendors are examples in this regard.
Certain professions that have already disappeared or are on the verge of extinction were carried out on an itinerant basis, such as the omen who sold water from house to house or the knife sharpener who traveled through various towns offering their services.
Probably the activity in which there is a most evident displacement is grazing during transhumance (if we take the territory of Spain as a reference, there are still a few transhumant shepherds).
In the field of occupational safety regulations, possible commuting accidents are contemplated, that is, accidents that occur on the route between the worker’s home and his place of work.
Apart from the world of work, there are people who in their daily lives have the habit of going from one place to another without a fixed direction, such as homeless people or some travelers. Not surprisingly, the fugitive fleeing from justice also leads a wandering life.
in culture
In the world of art, many exhibitions are not held in a fixed place, but rather itinerant. With this approach, the works that are exhibited can reach a greater number of people.
Theater companies normally tour and, therefore, their activity consists of moving from one location to another.
Fotolia photos: Nito / Brimeux / Olivier Rault
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