troposphere
/ˈtrɒpəsfɪər/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
tropos — a turn, rotation, or change
Overview
Meaning Now
- The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, extending from the surface to the tropopause, where most weather phenomena occur.
Literal older meaning
sphere of turning or changing
Language path
Ancient Greek → International Scientific Vocabulary → English
Earliest form
troposphère
Earliest period
1908
Journey
The term was introduced by meteorologist Léon Teisserenc de Bort in the early 20th century to describe the atmospheric region where constant mixing and convection currents occur, in contrast to the more stable 'stratosphere' above it.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*trep-
“to turn”
- Ancient Greek
tropos
“a turning, way, or direction”
- French (1908)
troposphère
“the layer where air turns or mixes”
Coined by French meteorologist Léon Teisserenc de Bort
Connections
Word parts
tropo-
root
turning, change
-sphere
suffix
a globe or atmospheric layer
Related across languages
Ancient Greek
trope
a turn
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Related to troposphere
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.