Arktos
/ˈar.k.tos/noun
Greek for "bear," and also the source of words for the Arctic and Antarctica.
Did you know?In ancient Greek, ἄρκτος meant both a bear and the constellation Ursa Major, which helped give the Arctic its name as the land of the Bear.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ŕ̥tḱos
“bear”
Ancient Greek
GRK
ἄρκτος (arktos)
“bear; the Bear constellation”
Latin
LAT
arcticus
“of the Bear; northern”
Middle English
ENG
arktik / arctic
“northern; relating to the region under the Bear constellation”
Modern English
ENG
arctic
“the polar region around the North Pole”