northern

adj

Etymology: From Middle English northerne, from Old English norþerne, from Proto-West Germanic *norþrōnī, from Proto-Germanic *nurþrōnijaz. Cognate with Old High German nordrōni and Old Norse norrœnn. Morphologically north + -ern.

1. Of, facing, situated in, or related to the north; northerly.

   “Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early, intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels and even whole villages.”

   “Sadhana and Sanjeev Prasad, who live in Haridwar, a city in northern Uttarakhand state, filed a petition this month seeking 50 million Indian rupees (about $643,000) in damages from their son, 35, and his wife, 31.”

2. Blowing from the north; northerly.
3. Characteristic of the North of England (usually capitalised)

   “Les Dawson was a famous northern comedian.”

name

1. A surname.
2. The Northern Line of the London Underground.
3. Any of several former railroads called the Northern Railroad in the 19th century.

   “We don't move any freight on the Northern anymore.”

noun

Etymology: From Middle English northerne, from Old English norþerne, from Proto-West Germanic *norþrōnī, from Proto-Germanic *nurþrōnijaz. Cognate with Old High German nordrōni and Old Norse norrœnn. Morphologically north + -ern.

1. An inhabitant of the northern regions; a northerner.
2. The northern pike.

   “As is the case with northerns, the female muskie, trailed by her attendant males, may broadcast eggs over several hundred yards.”

3. A film or other dramatic work set primarily in the late 19th or early 20th century in the north of North America, primarily in western Canada but also in Alaska, often with a Mountie as the protagonist.