Where does “Antarctic” come from?
Antarctic derives from Middle English antartyk, from Old French antartique, from Latin antarcticus, from Ancient Greek ἀνταρκτικός, a compound of ἀντί (opposite) and -ικός (adjective suffix), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- and -kos.
Antarctic (English): Of, from, or pertaining to Antarctica and the...
Definitions
- Of, from, or pertaining to Antarctica and the...
Ancestry of “Antarctic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | antartik | — |
| 2 | Old French | antartique | — |
| 3 | Latin | antarcticus | southern; Antarctic |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀνταρκτικός | antarctic |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀρκτικός | having to do with the Great Bear; northern lands;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |