-scape

Tina asked about the combining form –scape, as in landscape. The original use, in fact, was the word landscape; other words are engaged in back-formation. It came from a Dutch word and was first introduced by artists. The –scape segment means a condition that can be viewed. The land- segment signifies natural inland scenery.

Some of the –scape words are elegant; others are almost humorous.

• airscape: a view or photograph taken from the air
• cityscape: city scenery
• cloudscape: a scene composed of clouds
• cowscape : a painting of a rural scene which includes cows [my personal favorite]
• dreamscape: a dream-like picture or a dream-world
• hardscape: the man-made features of landscape architecture, such as paths, structures, walls, etc.
• icescape: a picture of ice scenery
• inscape: Gerard Manley Hopkins' word for the uniqueness of an observed object, scene, event, etc.
• junglescape: a painting whose subject or background is a jungle
• lovescape: view, depiction, or evocation of love
• lunarscape: a picture or view of the moon's surface
• manscape: a scene or environment characterized by human activity
• mediascape: communications media as a collective whole
• mindscape: mental landscape or inner vision.
• moodscape: a depiction or evocation of complex moods or feelings
• mountainscape: a picturesque view of a mountainous area
• mudscape: a landscape composed largely or entirely of mud
• nightscape: an artistic representation of a scene at night
• noonscape: a description of a landscape at noon
• offscape: the distant part of a view or prospect--the background
• outscape: the outward appearance of a region
• playscape: a children's play area incorporating existing landscape features
• poemscape: a poem or text that portrays a landscape
• prisonscape: a view or picture dominated by a prison or prisons
• riverscape: a picturesque view or prospect of a river
• roadscape: a picture or other artistic interpretation of a road
• rockscape: a stretch or tract of rocky land
• roofscape: a scene or panorama of roofs
• seascape: a picture of the sea, a sea-piece; sea-pieces collectively....
• skyscape: in painting, etc., a representation of part of the sky
• slumscape: slum scenery
• snowscape: a snow scene
• soundscape: a musical composition consisting of a texture of sounds
• spacescape: a view or prospect of outer space
• starscape: a view or prospect of a sky filled with stars
• streetscape: a view or prospect provided by a city street or streets....
• tablescape: a decorative arrangement of ornaments or other objects on a tabletop
• townscape: a picture or view of a town
• treescape: a landscape or scene consisting of or abounding in trees
• waterscape: a picture or a piece of scenery consisting of water
• wirescape: scenery or a landscape dominated by overhead wires and pylons
• xeriscape: landscape that minimizes the need for irrigation

Available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts Dictionary, 2nd edition

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