Where does “Corfu” come from?
Corfu is the English name for an island in the Ionian Sea, derived from Italian Corfù, which comes from Ancient Greek Κορυφώ, itself from Ancient Greek κορυφή meaning peak or summit.
Corfu (English): one of the Ionian Islands. The ancient name is Corcyra (Κόρκῡρα, more often Κέρκῡρα), in Modern Greek Kérkira (Κέρκυρα)
Definitions
- one of the Ionian Islands. The ancient name is Corcyra (Κόρκῡρα, more often Κέρκῡρα), in Modern Greek Kérkira (Κέρκυρα)
Ancestry of “Corfu”, step by step
Corfu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Italian Corfù
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | Corfù | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | Κορυφώ | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | κορυφή | top of the head, crown; mountain peak; top, apex |
via Greek Κόρφου
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greek | Κόρφου | — |