Orkney

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of islands in the northern part of Scotland that is known for its unique history, archaeology, and natural landscapes
2. An archipelago situated north of the mainland of Scotland, famous for its rich Norse heritage and scenic beauty
3. A collection of islands characterized by their historical significance, archaeological sites, and diverse wildlife located in the North Sea off Scotland's northeastern coast

Etymology: The name Orkney almost certainly began as a Celtic word for something that has nothing to do with seals or pigs in the modern sense of the islands' character. The Greek writer Ptolemy recorded the islands as "Órkádes," a form that probably goes back to a Pictish or Brittonic name derived from Proto-Celtic "ɸorkos," meaning "young pig." Why the islands earned a porcine name is not known. When Norwegian settlers arrived in the ninth century, they heard the old name and reshaped it into their own language. Old Norse "Orkneyjar" combines "ørkn," meaning "seal," with "ey," meaning "island," so the settlers effectively renamed the place "seal islands." The modern singular form dropped the plural ending, leaving the name we use today. Other suggestions exist, such as a link to Welsh "erch," meaning "speckled," or to a Celtic word for "pine," but the islands' largely treeless landscape makes the pine idea unlikely. The Norse reinterpretation is the explanation that stuck.

Synonyms: island, landmass