arctic English · revision 10428

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1391|origins=fro artique|origins=la arcticus|origins=grc ἀρκτικός|origins=ine-pro *h₂ŕ̥tḱos}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɑː(k).tɪk/ ''(UK)''; /ˈɑɹ(k).tɪk/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English artik, [[bor|fro|artique]] and directly from Medieval Latin articus,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from Latin arcticus, from Greek [[m|grc|ἀρκτικός|tr=arktikós|t=of the north]], literally of the Bear,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[m|grc|ἄρκτος|tr=árktos|t=bear; the Great Bear; the north]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from the usual PIE word for bear, *rtko-, also in Latin ursus.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The Bear is Ursa Major, the best-known constellation always seen in the north, not the polar bear.^(Cresswell 2021)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of the north pole of the heavens: about 1391, in Chaucer's ''Treatise on the Astrolabe''.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The -c- was restored after Latin from the 1550s;^(Etymonline) Robert Recorde has arctike in 1556.^(Barnhart 1988) In Middle English it was usually of the heavens; of the earth, northern, it is from the early 15th century.^(Etymonline) As a noun, the north polar regions, with capital A, it is from the 1560s (1569).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The figurative sense, extremely cold, is from the 1660s (1670).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The ''Arctic fox'' is from 1772,^(OED 1989) and in American use ''arctics'' are waterproof overshoes (1867).^(OED 1989)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1391 – of the north pole of the heavens.^(OED 1989)

+ * early 15th century – northern.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1556 – the spelling arctike.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1569 – the Arctic (noun).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1670 – extremely cold.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1867 – overshoes (US).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(often Arctic)'' Of or relating to the regions around the [[North Pole]].^(Collins 2023)^(OED 1989)

+ # ''(informal)'' Extremely cold; frigid.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(the Arctic)'' The region north of the Arctic Circle.^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(US)'' A warm waterproof overshoe.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[arctically]]

+ * [[superarctic]]

+ * [[Arctic Archipelago]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Antarctic]]

+ * [[Arcturus]]

+ * [[ursine]]

+ * [[bear]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Barnhart notes that the pronunciation without the first k sound, once standard, reflects the earlier spelling artic.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}