  a monadnock  or inselberg is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain.<!-- the term "monadnock" is usually used in the united states, whereas "inselberg" is the more common international term."inselberg." encyclopÃ¦dia britannica. 2009. encyclopÃ¦dia britannica online. 29 nov. 2009 . that claim is not supported by the source provided. on the contrary, the article does not mention "monadnock" at all, and the same source's article on that topic (http://www.britannica.com/ebchecked/topic/388796/monadnock?anchor=ref165507) clearly states they are not synonymous! --> in southern and southern-central africa, a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, a afrikaans word ("little head") from the dutch word kopje.webster's new explorer dictionary of word origins (2004). federal street press: new york. if the monadnock is dome-shaped and formed from granite-gneiss, it can also be called a bornhardt. ==definitions== thumb|200px|right|mount monadnock in new hampshire, united states monadnock is an originally native american term for an isolated hill or a lone mountain that stands above the surrounding area, typically by surviving erosion. geologists took the name from mount monadnock in southwestern new hampshire.raymo, chet and maureen e. (1989) written in stone: a geologic history of the northeastern united states. globe pequot, chester, connecticut. it is thought to derive from the abenaki language, from either menonadenak ("smooth mountain") or menadena ("isolated mountain")."vermont soils with names of american indian origin" united states department of agriculture, natural resources conservation service. retrieved january 6, 2008. in this context, monadnock is used to describe a mountain that rises from an area of relatively flat and/or lower terrain. for instance, mount monadnock rises  above its surrounding terrain and stands, at , nearly  higher than any mountain peak within .baldwin, henry i. (1989). monadnock guide 4th edition. concord, new hampshire: society for the protection of new hampshire forests. the word inselberg is german for "island mountain"; the name was originally coined by geologist wilhelm bornhardt (1864â
Geology_terminology Monadnocks Mountains Rock_formations