An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Nord
Nord, m. (almost obsolete in the UpG. vernacular), ‘north,’ from MidHG. nort (gen. nordes), m. and n., OHG. nord, m.; corresponding terms are found in all the OTeut. languages (whence Ital. norte and Fr. nord), the names of the cardinal points being formed independently in Teut.; in this case the Aryan languages possess no common term. Comp. OSax. *north (recorded only as an adv. ‘northwards’), AS. norþ, m., E. north. Goth. *naúrþs, or rather *naúrþr (equiv. to OIc. norðr), is by chance not recorded. It has been connected with Gr. 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, m., ‘northern region,’ is allied; from MidHG. (MidG.) norden, OHG. nordan. n.; comp. also Süden.