Why are wind directions named for the direction they come from and not the direction they blow?
Question #129280. Asked by scubascott.
Last updated Feb 01 2013.
Originally posted Feb 01 2013 7:25 AM.
Baloo55th
Answer has 4 votes
Baloo55th 22 year member
4545 replies
Answer has 4 votes.
To my surprise, the Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_direction doesn't say. I would think that it's because it's easier to work it out. Wet the back of your hand and hold it up. There's one direction where it feels cold, and the all the rest of the circle where it doesn't.
Feb 01 2013, 4:31 PM
looney_tunes
Answer has 7 votes
Currently Best Answer
looney_tunes Moderator 19 year member
3319 replies
Answer has 7 votes.
Currently voted the best answer.
Early people who noticed the different qualities associated with winds blowing in different directions would have noticed that the wind quality depended on where it was coming from - a wind blowing from polar regions would be colder, for example, than one with tropical origins. The source of the wind became a logical way of giving it a name.