Back to all words

Peninsula

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a piece of land projecting into water, connected to the mainland
1
Stage 1 of 2
paene insula
Latin · ancient
"almost an island"
literally almost an island, from paene (almost) and insula (island)
2
Stage 2 of 2
peninsula
English · 1550s
"a piece of land almost surrounded by water"
adopted directly for a piece of land nearly surrounded by water
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom