Légköre

Légköre is a Hungarian noun form that refers to the atmosphere surrounding something, and more broadly to the climate or mood of a place, situation, or context. The base word légkör means the layer of gases that surrounds a celestial body or the surrounding environment of a location. The possessive form légköre indicates the atmosphere belonging to or surrounding a specific subject, as in a város légköre (the atmosphere of the city) or egy tó légköre (the air around a lake).

In scientific contexts, légkör denotes the physical atmosphere: its composition, pressure, temperature profile, humidity, and related phenomena such as weather and climate. When used metaphorically, légkör describes the ambience, cultural climate, or overarching mood of a place or event, for example the city’s lively légkör or the tense légkör at a meeting. The possessive form is common when specifying the atmosphere of a particular subject, for instance a város légkörének változásai (the changes in the city’s atmosphere).

Etymology: légkör is formed from lég (air) and kör (circle), literally “air circle.” The suffix -e in légköre marks the possessive form used with a specific subject.

Usage notes: légkör is widely used in both scientific and figurative language. In everyday Hungarian, people often refer to the “légkör” of a place to convey its character or mood, while “atmoszféra” is a more technical synonym in some contexts.