# northern

Pronunciation: US say "NOR-thurn" /ˈnɔɹðɚn/; UK say "NAW-thuhn" /ˈnɔːðən/

## Adjective

1. Of, situated in, facing, or relating to the north; of a wind, coming from the north.
   - Simple: In, facing, or connected with the north. A northern wind blows from the north.
   - _The expedition mapped the northern coastline over several months._
   - _Many northern towns see snow well into spring._
2. Characteristic of the North of England, its people, speech, or culture. *(British)*
   - Simple: Typical of the north of England, its people, or how they speak.
   - _The novel captures Northern bluntness and warmth in equal measure._
   - _Visitors often comment on the Northern hospitality and plain speaking._

## Noun

3. A large, predatory freshwater fish of the pike family, commonly called the northern pike.
   - Simple: A large freshwater fish with a long body and sharp teeth, a type of pike.
   - _A trophy northern can stretch well over three feet in length._
   - _The guide pointed to where the northerns lurk among the weeds._
4. A film or dramatic work set in the late 1800s or early 1900s in the north of North America (usually western Canada or Alaska) often featuring a Mountie as the hero.
   - Simple: A movie or play set in the far north of North America long ago, often about a Mountie.
   - _The director's first northern follows a Mountie tracking a fugitive across the Yukon._
   - _Early northerns often romanticized life in the frozen wilderness._

## Other meanings

- (noun) A person who lives in or comes from the northern regions; a northerner.

## Origin

Built from north plus -ern, it goes back to Proto-Germanic *nurþrōnijaz, which gave Proto-West Germanic *norþrōnī, Old English norþerne, and Middle English northerne. Old High German nordrōni and Old Norse norrœnn are cognates.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/northern (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).