John Wheeler: Arctic comes from an ancient reference to the Big Dipper

FARGO — When the word, “arctic,” is used in a forecast to describe cold weather coming, we all know what to expect. But have you ever wondered where the word, “arctic,” comes from? It turns out to be from the Latin arcticus, which comes from the Greek arkticus, which means “of the north.” But arkticus means north because it is a reference to the Great Bear constellation, which we know today as The Big Dipper.

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major or Big Bear in Latin) is the most-recognized constellation in the Northern Hemisphere. The Arctic is the region of the Big Bear and also, coincidentally, the region of the polar bear. The opposite region of Earth is called Antarctica because it is opposite the Arctic.



No bears exist in Antarctica. In fact, no land-based mammals of any kind live there. Many varieties of seals and birds, including penguins, live there some, or all, of the year.

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