Atholhu
/aˈt̪oɭu/noun
In Dhivehi, the word for an atoll or ring-shaped coral island enclosing a lagoon.
Did you know?English “atoll” ultimately passed through Portuguese from Dhivehi atholhu, making a Maldivian island term one of the world’s most recognizable geographic words.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dwóh₁
“Two; a proposed ancestral element connected with the Sanskrit compound behind atoll.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
antar-dvīpa
“An island amid or between waters; traditionally cited as an earlier source connected with the atoll term.”
Medieval period
Dhivehi
atholhu
“An atoll or coral island enclosing a lagoon.”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
atoll
“A coral island or reef forming a ring around a lagoon, borrowed from Dhivehi.”
17th Century
English
atoll
“A ring-shaped coral reef, island, or group of islands surrounding a lagoon.”
Modern English
English
atoll
“A ring-shaped coral island or reef surrounding a lagoon; the English descendant of Dhivehi atholhu.”