Etymology
From Italian arcipelago, formed on the basis of Ancient Greek ἀρχι- or arkhi- (main) + πέλαγος or pélagos (sea), a designation for the Aegean Sea. The Aegean Sea is a sea with many islands; the term Arcipelago, originally a proper noun referring to the Aegean Sea, was first generalized to a common noun for any sea with many islands, and then to the islands in such a sea.
Noun
archipelago (plural archipelagos or archipelagoes)
- (collective) A group of islands.
- (by extension) Something scattered around like an archipelago.
- The Gulag Archipelago
Derived terms
- archipelagic
Credits
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