Back to all words

Sphere

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a round solid figure; an area of activity

Where does the word "sphere" come from? It comes from Greek sphaira, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

sphaira→espere→sphere

Greek · ancient

Greek, a ball or globe

Old French · medieval

came via Latin 'sphaera'

English · 1300s

"celestial globe"

'sphere of influence' dates from the 1800s

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom

Read the full story

Sphere’s story begins in Greek: sphaira meant “ball.” Greek, a ball or globe. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as espere. Came via Latin 'sphaera'. It reached English by 1300s as sphere. 'sphere of influence' dates from the 1800s. Today, sphere means a round solid figure; an area of activity.