Where does “lithosphere” come from?
Lithosphere derives from English sphere combined with litho-, from Greek líthos meaning stone.
lithosphere (English): The rigid, mechanically strong, outer layer of...
Definitions
- The rigid, mechanically strong, outer layer of...
Ancestry of “lithosphere”, step by step
lithosphere traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sphere
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sphere | A regular three-dimensional object in which every... |
| 2 | Middle English | spere | A spear or lance; The Lance of Longinus; A barb... |
| 3 | Old French | sphere | sphere shape |
| 4 | Latin | sphēra | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σφαῖρα | ball, globe, sphere |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ειδής | like, connected to, from the nature of, full of;... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ής | adjective suffix |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |
via English litho
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | litho | Clipping of lithographic; To lithograph |