scapes

Scapes is a term used mainly as a suffix in English to form nouns that denote a view, scene, or environment. The most familiar examples are landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes, where the suffix indicates the subject of the depiction. The word has since broadened to describe not only geographic scenery but also visual and imaginative environments in art, literature, and media.

Common types include landscape (natural or rural scenes), seascape (coastlines and maritime views), cityscape (urban panoramas), and skyscape (the sky and weather as a focal point). In more metaphorical use, dreamscape and mindscape describe imagined or mental environments, while urbanscape or scenography can refer to the arrangement of built space. In photography and painting, scapes are subjects or genres that emphasize the view from a particular vantage point.

Usage and contexts: In art and photography, scapes classify works by their setting. In urban planning and geography, landscape terms describe interactions of humans and nature across space. In literature and film, dreamscape denotes surreal or altered landscapes within a story. In video games and virtual reality, scapes define immersive environments and world-building. The plural scapes occurs most often as a shorthand for the various types of scenery (for example, cityscapes or seascapes) rather than as a standalone category.

See also: Landscape, Seascape, Cityscape, Skyscape, Dreamscape, Mindscape, Urban landscape.