paleogeography

noun

pa·​leo·​ge·​og·​ra·​phy ˌpā-lē-ō-jē-ˈä-grə-fē How to pronounce paleogeography (audio)
 especially British  ˌpa-
: the geography of ancient times or of a particular past geologic epoch
paleogeographic
ˌpā-lē-ō-ˌjē-ə-ˈgra-fik How to pronounce paleogeography (audio)
 especially British  ˌpa-
adjective
or paleogeographical
ˌpā-lē-ō-ˌjē-ə-ˈgra-fi-kəl How to pronounce paleogeography (audio)
 especially British  ˌpa-
paleogeographically
ˌpā-lē-ō-ˌjē-ə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce paleogeography (audio)
 especially British  ˌpa-
adverb

Examples of paleogeography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The position of a landmass in the geologic past — a continent’s paleogeography — could be used to claim rights to that land. Brian Romans, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2010

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paleogeography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

paleo- + geography

Note: Probably coined on multiple occasions. The geologist Thomas Sterry Hunt regarded the word as a neologism when he used it in 1872 ("The student of organic fossils constructs from their history the sciences of paleophytology and paleozoölogy; and we may also, from the records of the attendant physical changes, construct what may be appropriately named paleogeography, or, the geographical history of these ancient geological periods." —"The Paleogeography of the North American Continent," "Read November 12, 1872," Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York, vol. 4 [1873], p. 417). French paléogéographie was used in the table of contents of Hervé Faye's translation of Alexander von Humboldt's Kosmos (Cosmos, Essai d'une description physique du monde, première partie, Paris, 1847), though there is no corresponding word in the German text, which lacks a table of contents.

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paleogeography was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near paleogeography

Cite this Entry

“Paleogeography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paleogeography. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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