Baltic
Meanings
- Of or pertaining to the Baltic region or the Baltic Sea.
- Of or pertaining to any of the Baltic languages.
- Of or pertaining to the Balts (the Baltic peoples).
- Extremely cold.
- The Baltic Sea.
- A geographic region of Northern Europe, surrounding the Baltic Sea.
- A geographic region of Northern Europe, consisting of the three countries to the east of the Baltic Sea, i.e. Latvia, Lithuanian and Estonia; in full, the Baltics or the Baltic states.
- The Baltic language family; the Baltic languages
- The Baltic Exchange, a membership organisation for the maritime industry.
- An unincorporated community in Kings County, in eastern Prince Edward Island, Canada.
- A village and census-designated place in the center of the town of Sprague, Connecticut.
- A village in Coshocton County, Holmes County and Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
- A city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota.
- Alternative letter-case form of Baltic (“very cold”).
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From Latin Balticus, from Latin Balthae (“dwellers near the Baltic sea”), equivalent to Balt + -ic. The ultimate origin is uncertain, but possibilities include: * From North Germanic *baltaz (“strait”), in reference to the narrow entranceway of the sea. This word itself could be borrowed from Lithuanian baltas (“white”) or related to Proto-Germanic *baltijaz (“belt”) (see below). * Related to Lithuanian baltas (“white”) and Proto-Slavic *bolto (“swamp, bog, mud”), which are from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“white”). * Related to Latin balteus (“belt”) (compare Proto-Germanic *baltijaz), referring to the Danish straits, "the Belts". This is suggested by Adam of Bremen, who in the 11th century first recorded the name (Balticus, eo quod in modum baltei longo tractu per Scithicas regiones tendatur usque in Greciam). More at Baltic.