Arctic
/ˈɑːrk.tɪk/noun
Relating to the region around the North Pole or to extremely cold northern conditions.
Did you know?Arctic comes from Greek *arktikos*, “of the Bear,” a name tied to Ursa Major/Ursa Minor, so the North was defined by a celestial animal before it was defined by ice.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ŕ̥tḱos
“bear”
Ancient Greek
Greek
arktos
“bear”
Ancient Greek
Greek
arktikos
“of the Bear; northern”
Latin
Latin
arcticus
“of the north; arctic”
Late Middle English
English
arktik
“northern, belonging to the region of the Bear constellation”
Modern English
English
arctic
“of or relating to the far north or the Arctic region”