Dear Tom,
What is the derivation of the word “meteorology”?
Allen White
Dear Allen,
The word meteorology probably originated with the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), who wrote and taught on a wide variety of topics that included poetry, ethics and politics.
Aristotle was especially interested in the physical world, and in 340 B.C. he presented a series of treatises on atmospheric phenomena that he observed around him: rain, wind, lightning, thunder, etc.
Aristotle’s explanations were incorrect, but his treatises established meteorology as a distinct discipline and their title, “Meteorologica,” gave the science of the atmosphere its name. The Greeks referred to any particles suspended in the air or falling from the atmosphere as “meteors.”
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
