Where does “subarctic” come from?
I need to work through this chain carefully, but I notice there's a significant problem with the given chain. Let me trace what's provided:
English Arctic | Latin sub | Proto-Italic supo | Proto-Indo-European upo | Ancient Greek -ικός | Proto-Indo-European h₂ŕ̥tḱos | Proto-Indo-European -kos
The chain seems to conflate multiple etymological paths and contains inconsistencies. However, working with what's given and the headword "subarctic":
- "subarctic" is English
- "sub" is Latin (meaning "under")
- "Arctic" comes from Ancient Greek ἀρκτικός (arktikós, relating to the bear/north)
- Which derives from Proto-Indo-European h₂ŕ̥tḱos (bear)
But the chain as
subarctic (English): Region immediately outside of the Arctic Circle...
Definitions
- Region immediately outside of the Arctic Circle...
Ancestry of “subarctic”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Romanian | arctic | Arctic |
| 2 | French | arctique | Arctic |
| 3 | Old French | arctique | — |
| 4 | Latin | arcticus | northern, arctic |
| 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 |