Choropleth
/ˈkɔːrəplɛθ/noun
A map that uses varying colors or shading to show how a measured value differs across geographic areas.
Did you know?The term was coined in the 1930s by American geographer John Kirtland Wright, combining Greek roots associated with geographic regions and multitude or abundance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gher-
“To enclose or form an enclosure; a proposed ancestral source connected with the Greek idea of an enclosed or defined space.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
khôros (χῶρος)
“A place, space, land, or region.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
plêthos (πλῆθος)
“A multitude, great number, or abundance.”
1930s
English
choropleth
“A coined geographic term combining Greek-derived elements for a region and a multitude, used for statistical maps.”
Modern English
English
choropleth
“A shaded or colored map in which each geographic area represents a data value.”
Explore more surprising origins