Laurentia

English

Etymology

A New Latin formation named after the Saint Lawrence River: Laurentius (“Lawrence”) +‎ -ia (New Latin suffix for creating place names). Or, back-formed from Laurentian (from French laurentien), already in use to describe the Laurentian Mountains and their associated geologic complex (and by extension Canada as a whole). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /lɑˈɹɛn.ʃə/, /lɑˈɹɛn.ʃi.ə/
  • (pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): /lɑˈɹɪn.ʃə/, /lɑˈɹɪn.ʃi.ə/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /lɒˈɹɛn.ʃə/, /lɒˈɹɛn.ʃi.ə/

• Hyphenation: Lau‧ren‧tia, Lau‧ren‧ti‧a

Proper noun

Laurentia

1. (geology) The craton that forms the geological core of North America, and that was a separate continent in the past (before merging into Laurasia).
   • 2015, Kent C. Condie, Plate Tectonics & Crustal Evolution:

     Laurentia includes most of North America, Scotland and Ireland north of the Caledonian suture, Greenland, Spitzbergen, and the Chukotsk peninsula of eastern Siberia.

2. (nonstandard) Canada.

Derived terms

• Laurasia
• Laurentian