Where does “archipelago” come from?
Archipelago comes from Italian arcipelago, from Ancient Greek ἀρχιπέλαγος, combining ἀρχι- "chief" and ἀρχός "ruler," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ergʰ-.
archipelago (English): A group of islands; Something scattered around...
Definitions
- A group of islands; Something scattered around...
Ancestry of “archipelago”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Italian | arcipelago | archipelago |
| 2 | Italian | archi- | arch- |
| 3 | Latin | archi- | arch-, archi- |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀρχι- | denotes primary importance or authority |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἄρχω | To begin; To lead, rule, govern, command; To be... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ergʰ- | to begin; to command, rule; to begin, rule,... |
Words derived from “archipelago”