Learn English – Word for half-hemisphere / quarter-sphere

single-word-requests

A hemisphere is a half-sphere, for example, half the Earth: northern, southern, eastern, western hemisphere.

In a forum post related to a ESA satellite station in Argentina, I came across the phrase "having such an strategic and experienced partner on the South West hemisphere".

Now obviously, the South West hemisphere is not a hemisphere, but a half-hemisphere. Is there a word for a quarter-sphere, south as, in the geographical case, the north west, north east, south west, south east?

Maybe something like quadrasphere?

Best Answer

There is no such term. You could use semihemisphere, but this is not a geographical term as far as I'm aware. Evidence of absence is always difficult and doesn't make a rewarding answer.

I would suggest a different term altogether like area or region. If you insist on the "quarter of the earth" sense, then quadrant would fit your needs.

Carlo_R has an interesting point, but quadrant is in use, geographically, and is a word that most speakers will glean meaning from. Some examples include "Mapping World Heritage Sites":

Use a dry erase marker to draw, or have a volunteer draw, the Equator and prime meridian. Then label each quadrant of the map with its hemispheric identifier: NE, NW, SE, and SW.

"Geographic Coordinate System":

The origin of the graticule (0,0) is defined by where the equator and prime meridian intersect. The globe is then divided into four geographical quadrants that are based on compass bearings from the origin. North and south are above and below the equator, and west and east are to the left and right of the prime meridian.

Earth quadrant from Webster's (1913):

n. a fourth of the earth's circumference.

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