Roots of Common Terms in Biogeography

Roots of Common Terms in Biogeography

Roots

L = Latin, G = Greek, S = Sanskrit

Abiotic

a = without, bios = life (G)

Biogeography

bios = life, + geographia from ge = earth and graphia = writing (G)

Biome

from bios = life (G)

Biota

from biote = life (G)

Climate

from klima = zone (G).Originally meaning a zone between two lines of latitude, climate later evolved into the term for atmospheric conditions of a region.

Desert

from desertum = something left, waste (L)

Dispersal

from dis = widely, spargare = scatter (L)

Equator

from aequare = make equal (L)

Gondwana

from gondavana = forest of Gond (S)

Habitat

from habitare = inhabit (L)

Latitude

from latus = broad (L)

Laurasia

a combination of Asia and Laurentia, which refers to North America

Marine

marinusfrom mare = sea (L)

Pangaea

from pan = all + gaia = Earth (G)

Radiation

radiate = to spread outward from a single point, from radius = ray, spoke (L)

Terrestrial

terrestris from terra = Earth (L)

Tropics

tropikos from trope = turning (G)

Vicariance

from vicarius = substitute (L). This is the same root in the word vicarious, which your grandma might use to tell you she's living vicariously through you when you're out partying on the weekends and she's stuck playing bingo at the retirement home.