Islet

Eiland is used an outdated name for an island, and today mostly in the meaning " small island ".

Etymology and history of words

The term island is in the 13th century from Middle Low German e (i) lant, eyglant (as well as medium dutch eiland borrowed from the Old Frisian ) been taken; its present form is widespread since the 16th century. The first part of an "island" goes to proto-Germanic * awjō " Aue, Island " (from * agwjō " the Associated water, the water cloaked " ahwō, an education to * "Water, Water " ) back. Kluge indicated island as an "island country." On average, low-and - high-German, the first part was reinterpreted and transformed into einland the compound Folk etymology "alone lying country ".

The Old Frisian word for " island " was one island or alond. From the Middle Dutch have survived heylant and eylant. The Middle Low German had several words and pronunciations for this: Elant, Eilant, einlant, eiglant or olant. Other Middle Low German words for island were och, oie or oge.

In the 17th century, the standard German took over the word " island ". The former spelling was " one island ". Only through the Orthographic Conference of 1876 the spelling was officially changed. The former meaning "island" without reference to the size changed since then to today's meaning of " minor (small ) island ", " islands " (for which it had previously given the diminutive Eiländchen ).

In order to determine

The term " island " was not clearly defined. So you can not tell how big an island may be at most. Most islands are not more than 100 square kilometers. However, there are also islands that are great about 1000 km ², and the island is known as yet. Influence has thereby also the remoteness of the island.

For example, the boundary between "island" and " Holm" in the Faroe Islands at about 0.7 km ².

Synonyms

Another word for " small island " Holm (cf. Stockholm ), which also comes from the Low German. The Pomeranian designation for ( small ) island is Oie (see Greifswald Oie ). The word " Goose " has a common origin with the oog Frisian and Danish Ø.

Similar names from other languages

  • Skerry ( Swedish)
  • Cayo ( Spanish)
  • Motu ( Polynesian )
  • Islet (English)

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