Date
Meaning & History
Means "near the bear," from the Greek word ἀρκτικός (arktikos), derived from arctos, meaning "bear." It refers to the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, which are two of the most well known and consistently named constellations in the northern hemisphere. The term "Arctic" is used to refer to the region around the North Pole, including the ocean and the biogeographical region.