marina

Where does the word "marina" come from? It comes from Latin marinus, passing through Italian before entering English (1805-1935).

Marina’s story begins in Latin: marinus meant “of the sea, maritime.” An adjective meaning 'of the sea', from mare. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Italian as marina. Used as a noun for the shore or coast. It reached English by 1805-1935 as marina. Entered for a seaside promenade, then narrowed to a harbor with moorings for small boats. Today, marina means a harbor or dock with facilities for yachts and small boats.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient marinus "of the sea, maritime", an adjective meaning 'of the sea', from mare.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · medieval marina "shore, coast", used as a noun for the shore or coast.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1805-1935 marina "a harbor with moorings for boats", entered for a seaside promenade, then narrowed to a harbor with moorings for small boats.