Aerologists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Specialists in the study of atmospheric phenomena and the properties of the atmosphere
2. individuals who analyze the conditions affecting air quality and climate
3. experts who conduct research on air movements and meteorological effects

Etymology: "Aerologists" is the plural of "aerologist", a person who studies the atmosphere. The word is built from "aero-", a combining form from the Greek "aēr", meaning air, and "-logist", meaning one who studies or specializes in a field, from "logos", meaning word, reason or study. Put together, the literal sense is someone who studies the air. The "aero-" element is what makes the word feel modern. It appears in terms like "aeronautics" and "aerodynamics", which were coined in the age of flight, and "aerologist" follows the same pattern of attaching a scientific-sounding prefix to a field of study. Because the word is a deliberate formation from classical roots rather than an ancient term, the Greeks and Romans would not have recognized it as a single word. The parts they supplied, however, are the same ones that give English its vocabulary of science.