boreal
UK[ˈbɔːrɪəl]US[ˈbɔːriəl]
adj
relating to the north or the north wind.
adj
relating to or characteristic of the climatic zone south of the arctic, especially the cold temperate region dominated by taiga forests.
Morpheme Breakdown
bore
al
bore
north wind
al
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'boreal' originates from the latin 'boreālis', which is derived from 'boreās', the latin name for the north wind and the god of the north wind in classical mythology. this latin term was itself borrowed from the greek 'boreās', the name for the cold, northern wind. the semantic journey is direct, moving from the personified wind deity to a general geographical and climatic descriptor for northern regions. thus, the modern adjective 'boreal' retains its ancient link to the concept of the north, now applied scientifically to northern climatic zones and forests.
Analysis
Structure: bore (north wind) + al (adjective suffix)
bore (from latin boreās, meaning 'north wind' or 'the north'); al (from latin -ālis, an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'of or pertaining to').
Examples
the boreal forest, also known as taiga, is the world's largest land biome.
during the boreal winter, the nights are exceptionally long and cold.
astronomers sometimes refer to the aurora borealis, or northern lights.