Where does “island” come from?

Island comes from Middle English iland, from Old English īġland, from Proto-Germanic landą and an unattested word for water, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning water and land.

island (English): A contiguous area of land, smaller than a...

Definitions

  1. A contiguous area of land, smaller than a...

Ancestry of “island”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishilandArchaic form of island
2Middle Englishiland—
3Old Englishīeġlandisland
4Old Englishīeġisland
5Proto-West Germanicauwjufloodplain; meadow; island
6Proto-Germanicawjōfloodplain; meadow; island
7Proto-Germanicagwjō—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ékʷeh₂water

Words derived from “island”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ →Every word from Proto-Germanic agwjō →Every word from Proto-Germanic awjō →
island — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer