Etymology Map
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Atmosphere

2 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means the envelope of gases around the earth; the mood of a place

Where does the word "atmosphere" come from? It comes from Greek atmós + sphaîra, adopted directly into English (1630s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
atmós + sphaîra
Greek · ancient
"vapour + sphere"
'vapour' + 'ball', the parts the word was later built from
2
Stage 2 of 2
atmosphere
English · 1630s
"air around the earth; mood"
via Modern Latin atmosphaera (1600s), first used of vapour around heavenly bodies; Evangelista Torricelli's mercury barometer of 1643 showed that the air has weight
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Read the full story

Atmosphere’s story begins in Greek: atmós + sphaîra meant “vapour + sphere.” 'vapour' + 'ball', the parts the word was later built from. It reached English by 1630s as atmosphere. Via Modern Latin atmosphaera (1600s), first used of vapour around heavenly bodies; Evangelista Torricelli's mercury barometer of 1643 showed that the air has weight. Today, atmosphere means the envelope of gases around the earth; the mood of a place.