Etymology Map
Back to all words

Island

2 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means a piece of land surrounded by water

Where does the word "island" come from? It comes from Old English īegland, adopted directly into English (1590s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
īegland
Old English · medieval
"island"
īeg 'island' + land; the old īeg survives in place names such as Sheppey, 'sheep island', in Kent
2
Stage 2 of 2
island
English · 1590s
"land surrounded by water"
Middle English spelled it iland, with no s; scholars inserted a silent s in the 1500s, wrongly linking it with 'isle', an unrelated word from Latin insula via French
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Island’s story begins in Old English: īegland meant “island.” Īeg 'island' + land; the old īeg survives in place names such as Sheppey, 'sheep island', in Kent. It reached English by 1590s as island. Middle English spelled it iland, with no s; scholars inserted a silent s in the 1500s, wrongly linking it with 'isle', an unrelated word from Latin insula via French. Today, island means a piece of land surrounded by water.