Where does “arctic” come from?
Arctic comes from Middle French artique, from Latin arcticus, from Ancient Greek ἀρκτικός, itself formed from the Ancient Greek root ἀρκτ- (referring to the bear constellation) plus the suffix -ικός, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ŕ̥tḱos and -kos.
arctic (English): Alternative letter-case form of Arctic
Definitions
- Alternative letter-case form of Arctic
Ancestry of “arctic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Arctic | Pertaining to the celestial north pole, or to the... |
| 2 | Middle French | artique | — |
| 3 | Latin | arcticus | northern, arctic |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀρκτικός | having to do with the Great Bear; northern lands;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |