Orography
/ˌɔːrəˈɡræfi/noun
The description or mapping of mountains and mountain ranges.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek roots for “mountain” and “writing,” so orography originally meant the act of describing mountains rather than the mountains themselves.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
óros + graphḗ
“mountain + writing, drawing, or description”
Late Greek
Greek
orographia
“description or study of mountains”
17th–18th Century
French/Latin
orographie
“the description or mapping of mountainous regions”
19th Century
English
orography
“the scientific description of mountains and mountain systems”
Modern English
English
orography
“the study or mapping of mountains and their relief”