Latin names of islands
The Ancient Romans gave Latin names to every geographical entity in their vast empire, and many outside throughout the then known world; while many of these names were based on pre-existing 'autochthonous' names, sometimes translating, more often just adapting to their tongue, especially the ending, other names were the result of a more invasive decision, especially in case of (re)founding for a colony of veterans.
Users of Neo-Latin have taken the Latin language to places the Romans never went; hence a need arose to make Latin names of islands that did not exist when Latin was a living language.
Strategies for constructing Latin names
- See companion article
List of names
Latin |
[English], [other name], [older name], [island chain/region], [state/nation] |
|---|---|
Aegina |
Aegina, Greece (Aigina) |
Insulis Aeolium? |
Aeolian Islands |
Amorgos |
Amorgos, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Andros |
Andros |
Anticosti |
Ile d'Anticosti, Quebec |
Antikythera |
Antikythera, Kythera, Greece |
Antipoda |
Antipodes |
Astypalaea |
Astypalaia, Cyclades, Greece |
Insula Australis? |
South Island, New Zealand |
Baleares (Roman name as a province) - ?Balearica |
Balearic Islands |
Insula Borealis? |
North Island, New Zealand |
Britannia |
Great Britain |
Caesarea |
Jersey |
Calymnus |
Kalymnos, Dodecanese, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Canaris Insula |
Canary Islands |
Carpathus |
Carpathos, Dodecanese, Greece |
Cassos |
Cassos, Dodecanese, Greece |
Cauda? |
Cauda (Gauda/Gaf(v)da), Greece |
Ceos, Keos |
Ceos, Cyclades, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Cephallenia |
Kefallinia, Cephallonia |
Corcyra |
Corfu, Ionian, Greece (Kerkyra) |
Corsica |
Corsica |
Cos |
Kos, Dodecanese, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Creta |
Crete (Kriti/Krete) |
Cuba |
Cuba |
Cyclades Ins. |
Cyclades |
Cyprus |
Cyprus (Kypros) |
Cynthos |
Cynthos, Cyclades, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Cythera |
Cythera, Kythera, Greece |
Delos |
Delos, Cyclades, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Dodecanesus |
Dodecanese, Greece |
Dominica |
Dominica |
Ebusus |
Ibiza |
Euboea |
Euboea, Greece |
Fionia |
Funen, Denmark |
Gaulos |
Gozo, Maltese archipelago |
Gyara |
Gyaros, Greece Cyclades |
Helena, former name of Macronesus |
Makronisos (Macro-nesus 'big island') |
Hibernia |
Ireland |
Icaria |
Icaria |
Ictis |
St Michael's Mount |
Imbros |
Imbros Island |
Ionia Ins. |
Ionian Islands |
Ithaca |
Ithaca |
Lemnos |
Lemnos |
Leros |
Leros, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Lesbos |
Lesbos |
Melitta |
Malta |
Mona |
Anglesey |
Myconos |
Myconos |
Nova Britannia Occidentalis |
West New Britain, a province on part of New Britain island belonging to Papua New Guinea |
Nova Caledonia |
New Caledonia |
Nova Hibernia |
New Ireland, Papua New Guinea |
Nova Terra |
Newfoundland |
Ophiussa |
Formentera |
Orcadia |
Orkney Islands, Scotland |
Paros |
Paros, Cyclades, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Insula Princeps Eduardus |
Prince Edward Island |
Reg. Elis. |
Queen Elizabeth Islands, Nunavut |
Reg. Carlt.? |
Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia |
Rho |
Ro, E of Rhodes, Greece |
Rhodus |
Rhodes, Dodecanese, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Riduna |
Alderney |
Salamis |
Salamis, Greece |
Sapientia |
Sapienza, south of Methone, Greece |
Sardinia |
Sardinia |
Sarnia |
Guernsey |
Schiza |
Schiza, south of Methone, Greece |
Scyrus |
Scyros, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Seriphos |
Serifos, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Sicilia |
Sicily |
Siphnos |
Siphnos, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Skopelos, Sc?opelos |
Skopelos, Sporades, Greece |
Strophades |
Strophades, S of Zante, Greece |
Syros |
Syros |
Thasos |
Thasos, Aegean Sea, Greece |
Vectis |
Isle of Wight |
Zelandia |
1) Zealand (Denmark), 2) Zeeland (Netherlands) |
Zycanthus, Zacynthus |
Zante (Zakynthos), Ionian, Greece |
See also
- Latin names of cities