Why is dirt when its dry called dirt, but when its wet called mud?

Question

Why is dirt when its dry called dirt, but when its wet called mud?

Answer 1

Dirt is dirt and mud is mud.  Those substances are two different things.  So each substance has its own name.

Example:  A type of paste can be made by adding water to flour.  Flour without the water is called four.  Flour with the water is called paste.

Answer 2

Mud is "Mud",and Dirt is "Dirt".Whats ur doubt?

Answer 3

These two words merely define itself. There are no other words that can define them best. Perhaps they just have similarity but they are not totally the same, still they have the difference. If each human has its own uniqueness, also do with each words.

Answer 4

why is water when wet called water? and when frozen called ice.

so we can tell the difference....

Answer 5

Two different words exist so that we can describe each and be understood by others when we use them.  For example, if the word "mud" did not exist, you would not know exactly what I meant when I said the path was dirt.  It could be dry or wet without the other word available to differentiate.

Answer 6

The addition of another element in this case water to dirt=mud

Answer 7

because once you change the STATE of the "ingredients", you have changed the definition of "dirt". Dirt can be made up of different substances, and still be dry and powdery and called dirt, whether clay, sand, etc., but adding water makes a state change, from a solid to a more liquid state. Therefore, a different descriptive name is needed. If you vaporize dirt, it becomes a gas, like plasma. Not sure what you would call it then. Anyway, a state change is what makes a name change necessary.

- The Gremlin Guy -