Where does “Arctic” come from?
Arctic comes from Middle French artique, from Latin arcticus, from Ancient Greek ἀρκτικός, a formation using the suffix -ικός added to a root from Proto-Indo-European h₂ŕ̥tḱos with the suffix -kos, originally meaning "of the bear" or "northern."
Arctic (English): Pertaining to the celestial north pole, or to the...
Definitions
- Pertaining to the celestial north pole, or to the...
Ancestry of “Arctic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | artique | — |
| 2 | Latin | arcticus | northern, arctic |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἀρκτικός | having to do with the Great Bear; northern lands;... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |
Words derived from “Arctic”