Etymology of the English word arctic
the English word
arcticderived from the Medieval Latin word
articusderived from the Latin word
arcticus (arctic, northern; pertaining to the constellation of the Bear; initial, that constitutes the beginning)
derived from the Greek word
arktikos, ἀρκτικός
derived from the Greek word
arktos, ἄρκτος (a bear (as obstructing by ferocity))
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*r₀tko-using the Greek suffix
-icusDate
The earliest known usage of arctic in English dates from the 14th century.
Derivations in English
Holarctic,
holarctic,
nearctic,
palearctic,
subarctic,
arcticologyCognates
Dutch
arctisch, French
arctique, German
arktisch, Icelandic
arktískur, Lithuanian
arktinis, Russian
apктичecкый, Spanish
arctico, Swedish
arktiskUsage
Word found in Modern English
