An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Nord

by Friedrich Kluge

Nord, masculine (almost obsolete in the Upper German vernacular), ‘north,’ from Middle High German nort (genitive nordes), masculine and neuter, Old High German nord, masculine; corresponding terms are found in all the Old Teutonic languages (whence Italian norte and French nord), the names of the cardinal points being formed independently in Teutonic; in this case the Aryan languages possess no common term. Compare Old Saxon *north (recorded only as an adverb ‘northwards’), Anglo-Saxon norþ, masculine, English north. Gothic *naúrþs, or rather *naúrþr (equivalent to Old Icelandic norðr), is by chance not recorded. It has been connected with Greek νέρτερος, ‘that which exists below, lower down,’ which would involve the assumption that the word was coined at a period when the Teutons were descending the northern slope of a mountain range. Yet it must also be remembered that Umbr. nertro signifies ‘on the left.’ — To this Norden, masculine, ‘northern region,’ is allied; from Middle High German (Middle German) norden, Old High German nordan. neuter; compare also Süden.