geographic

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌdʒiː.əˈɡræf.ɪk/^[1]

Etymology

It is a shortened form of geographical,^[2] in some cases probably from French géographique or Late Latin geōgraphicus,^[2][3] from Greek geōgraphikós, from geōgraphía (see geography).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of or relating to geography: 1559 in Merriam-Webster,^[3] 1630 in the OED, the 1620s in Etymonline.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

The OED calls the adjective now somewhat rare, beside geographical,^[4] though it is common in American use, as in the names of geographic societies.^[5][3] A rare plural noun, geographics, from Greek tà geōgraphiká, is from 1610.^[4]

Timeline

• 1559 – geographic.^[3]
• 1610 – geographics (noun).^[4]
• 1630 – geographic.^[4]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Of or relating to geography.
2. Of the natural features or position of a particular region.

Word family

• geographically
• nongeographic
• ungeographic
• geographic mile

Related words

• geographer
• geographical
• geography

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin