arctic

• adj. 北极的；极寒的
• n. 北极圈；御寒防水套鞋
• n. (Arctic)人名；(英)阿克蒂克

中文词源

来自希腊语arktos, 熊，北极的代表动物。

英文词源

arctic

arctic: [14] Etymologically, the Arctic is the region of the ‘bear’. Nothing to do with polar bears, though. The characteristic constellations of the northern hemisphere are the ‘Little Bear’ (Latin Ursa Minor), which contains the northern celestial pole, and the Plough, otherwise known as the ‘Great Bear’ (Latin Ursa Major). The perception that they resemble a bear (Greek arktos) goes back to ancient times, and the Greeks used the derived adjective arktikos, literally ‘relating to bears’, to denote ‘northern’.

By the time this reached English, via Latin ar(c)ticus and Old French artique, it was being applied specifically to the northern polar regions. (The original English spelling, reflecting the French form, was artic. The more etymologically ‘correct’ arctic came in in the 17th century, but uncertain spellers are still apt to regress to artic.) Antarctic [14] for the corresponding southern polar region likewise comes ultimately from Greek (antarktikos, with the prefix anti- ‘opposite’). Arcturus [14], the name of a very bright star in the constellation Boötes, means literally ‘bear watcher’ or ‘bear guardian’ (Greek Arktouros), a reference to the fact that the tail of the Great Bear points towards it.

Arctic (adj.)

late 14c., artik, from Old French artique, from Medieval Latin articus, from Latin arcticus, from Greek arktikos "of the north," literally "of the (constellation) Bear," from arktos "bear; Ursa Major; the region of the north," the Bear being a northerly constellation. From *rkto-, the usual Indo-European base for "bear" (cognates: Avestan aresho, Armenian arj, Albanian ari, Latin ursus, Welsh arth); see bear (n.) for why the name changed in Germanic. The -c- was restored from 1550s. As a noun, "the Arctic regions," from 1560s.

双语例句

1. TV pictures showed the arctic conditions.

电视画面显示了严寒的环境。

来自《权威词典》

2. This ship was designed expressly for exploring the Arctic waters.

这艘船是为考察北极水域而特意设计的.

来自《简明英汉词典》

3. They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.

他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空.

来自《简明英汉词典》

4. Cold and hungry, they drifted helplessly towards the Arctic.

他们又冷又饿, 无助地漂向北极.

来自《简明英汉词典》

5. The Arctic remains the domain of the polar bear.

北极仍是北极熊的领地.

来自《简明英汉词典》