Tundral
/ˈtʌn.drəl/noun
Relating to or characteristic of tundra.
Did you know?English borrowed “tundra” through Russian from a Sámi term, reflecting Indigenous Arctic knowledge of a landscape defined by treelessness, frozen ground, and extreme seasonal light.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-modern period
Kildin Sámi
tūndâr
“Upland or treeless highland; the likely source of the later Russian word”
18th Century
Russian
тундра (tundra)
“Treeless, swampy northern plain or Arctic upland”
1840s
English
tundra
“A vast, nearly level, treeless Arctic or subarctic region”
19th–20th Century
English
tundral
“Relating to tundra”
Explore more surprising origins