Arcipelago

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A cluster of islands scattered across a sea or ocean, often forming a chain or scattered formation
2. A collection of islands spread out over water, typically grouped together in a region
3. Multiple islands situated in close proximity to one another or distributed across a body of water

Etymology: Originally, "arcipelago" named a single sea. Medieval Greek speakers called the Aegean "Aigaion pelagos," and at some point that name was reshaped into "Archipelagos," probably through a folk association with the Greek "arkhi-," meaning "chief" or "main." The result was roughly "main sea." Italian sailors and mapmakers then used "arcipelago" for the Aegean, and English later borrowed the word from Italian. The meaning drifted as the word moved. Because the Aegean is dotted with islands, "arcipelago" came to mean a sea full of islands, and then any group of islands at all. The English form "archipelago" keeps the Italian spelling's shape but has lost its link to one particular sea.