Crossword Genius

Ancient northerner chosen to be heard (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

pict

'ancient northerner' is the definition.
(the Picts were an ancient people of Scotland)

'chosen to be heard' is the wordplay.
'chosen' becomes 'picked' (picking is a kind of choosing).
'to be heard' shows a homophone (sound like).
'picked' is a homophone of 'PICT'.

(Other definitions for pict that I've seen before include "N. British tribesman" , "Northerner" , "Ancient Scot in Roman times" , "Very old person" , "Literary term for painted woman" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.