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Canary Islands

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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Partial calque of Spanish Islas Canarias, itself likely a partial calque, with the plural of isla (“island”), of Latin Canāriae Īnsulae (literally “Islands of the Dogs”), from the feminine plural of canārius (“of or pertaining to dogs”) + the plural of īnsula f (“island”). Perhaps so named because monk seals or sea dogs were abundant, a name that was evidently generalized from the ancient name of one of these islands, Canaria – presumably Gran Canaria. According to the historian Pliny the Elder, the island Canaria contained “vast multitudes of dogs of very large size”. The connection to dogs is retained in the autonomous community’s coat of arms, which is also included in its flag. The canary was named after the islands, not vice versa.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /kəˈnɛəɹi ˌaɪləndz/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Proper noun

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the Canary Islands pl (plural only, attributive Canary Island)

  2. An archipelago and autonomous community of Spain, off the coast of northwestern Africa, near Morocco.
    Synonym: Canaries (informal)

Hypernyms

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Meronyms

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islands of the Canary Islands

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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Canary Islands

  1. plural of Canary Island (“an island of the Canary Islands”)
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