Flyin'8 wrote:

Actually, I believe tsunami is one of those weird hemisphere-dependent
words that depends on where the event occurs. Just like "typhoon" in
east Asia and "hurricane" in North America. So I don't think it's a
renaming. If one of those things hits California it'll probably still
be called a "tidal wave".


Likely, but not correct. Tidal Waves are large waves caused by normal
tides. Tsunamis are waves caused by geographic changes on the ocean
floor.

That's the distinction made recently, but it wasn't so clear formerly.
My 1963 Funk & Wagnalls gives the definition of tidal wave as:
"1. Any great incoming rise of waters along a shore, caused by
windstorms at sea or by excessively high tides. 2. A tsunami.
3. A great movement in popular feeling, opinion, action, etc."

And under tsunami it mentions that it's sometimes also called
a "tidal wave."

Webster's in 1913 gave the following for tidal wave:
"n : a huge destructive wave (especially one caused by an
earthquake) [syn: tsunami]"

But I agree that an earthquake induced ocean wave hitting
California would now be categorized as a tsunami.