Etymology Explorer › Ancient Greek

Where does “Ἄρκτος” come from?

Ἄρκτος (Ancient Greek) comes from Proto-Indo-European h₂ŕ̥tḱos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂r̥tḱós — destroying.

Ἄρκτος (Ancient Greek): Ursa Major

Definitions

  1. Ursa Major

Ancestry of “Ἄρκτος”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ŕ̥tḱosbear
2Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂r̥tḱósdestroying
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂r̥tḱós →