Etymology

lithosphere

L1I1T1H4O1S1P3H4E1R1E1

Today it means: The rigid, mechanically strong, outer layer of the Earth, which is divided into twelve major tectonic plates. Full definition →

English sphere ← Middle English spere ← Old French sphere
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The story

  1. Ancient Greekλῐ́θος (lĭ́thos)
  2. Englishlitho-
  3. Ancient Greekσφαῖρᾰ (sphaîră)
  4. Latinsphaera
  5. Late Latinsphēra
  6. Old Frenchsphere
  7. Middle Englishspere
  8. Englishsphere
  9. English todaylithosphere

From litho- + -sphere.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.