septentrion

The story

1. Old French · derived fromseptentrïon
2. Latin · derived fromseptentriō, septentriōnem“the northern regions, the north”
3. Middle English · inherited fromseptentrion
4. English todayseptentrion

From Middle English septentrion, septentrione, septemtryones, septemtrioun, from Latin septentriō, septentriōnem (“the northern regions, the north”) directly and through Old French septentrïon, septemtrion, from septentriōnēs (“the seven stars near the north pole”) (called Charles's Wain, or the Great Bear, also those called the Little Bear; properly, the “seven plow oxen”); from septem (“seven”) + triō, originally a plow ox (compare triōnēs, from its plural). Cognate with French septentrion, Middle English septemtrioun.