Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Isle of Man” come from?

Isle of Man (English) comes from English isle, from English aisle, from Middle English ele, from Old English ele, from Proto-Germanic *oli, from Latin oleum, from Ancient Greek ἔλαιον, from Ancient Greek ἐλαία.

Ancestry of “Isle of Man”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishisleA island, compare with islet; Obsolete form of...
2EnglishaisleA wing of a building, notably in a church...
3Middle Englisheleeel
4Old Englisheleoil
5Proto-Germanic*oli—
6Latinoleumolive oil; the palaestra
7Ancient Greekἔλαιονolive oil, commonly used as an anointing oil; any...
8Ancient Greekἐλαίαolive tree; olive; naevus
9Proto-Hellenicelaíwā—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanloiwom—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European loiwom →