Lakshadweep

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. A group of islands located in the Arabian Sea, off the southwestern coast of India, known for their scenic beauty and coral reefs
2. An archipelago comprising numerous small islands under Indian administration, characterized by tropical climate and marine biodiversity
3. A union territory of India consisting of several atolls and reefs in the Arabian Sea, recognized for its isolated geography and cultural heritage

Etymology: The name is Sanskrit for "hundred thousand islands," built from "lakṣa," meaning a hundred thousand, and "dvīpa," meaning island. The first element is related to the Hindi and Urdu word "lakh," the familiar term for one hundred thousand in South Asian numbering, so the name is literally a count of islands rather than a poetic description. The arithmetic is more evocative than accurate. The archipelago has only a few dozen islands, and the number a hundred thousand is an old Indian convention for "a vast number" rather than a census. Names built this way often describe abundance or scale, and this one suggests the islands seemed countless to those who named them.

Synonyms: Laccadive Islands, Indian Union Territory