Etymology of the English word tropic
the English word
tropicderived from the Old French word
tropiquederived from the Late Latin word
tropicusderived from the Late Latin word
tropus (trope, figure of speech, figurative use of word)
derived from the Greek word
tropos, τρόπος (a turn; mode or style (especially with preposition or relative prefix as adverb, like); figuratively, deportment or character)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*trep-derived from the Greek word
tropikos, τροπικός
derived from the Greek word
trope, τροπή (a turn ('trope'); revolution (figuratively, variation))
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*trep-Date
The earliest known usage of tropic in English dates from the 14th century.
Derivations in English
tropicalCognates
French
tropique, Italian
tropico, Lithuanian
tropikas, Russian
тpoпикUsage
Word found in Modern English
