Chios
/ˈkaɪ.ɒs/noun
A Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, near the coast of Asia Minor.
Did you know?The origin of Chios is disputed: ancient writers connected it with Greek χιών, “snow,” while modern scholars generally treat the name as pre-Greek or otherwise uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Prehistory
Pre-Greek
*Khiwos / *Chios
“A proposed pre-Greek place-name form; its exact meaning is unknown.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Χίος (Khíos)
“The ancient Greek name of the island.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Greek
χιών (khiṓn)
““Snow”; some ancient and later explanations associated this word with Chios, though the connection is uncertain.”
Roman Period
Latin
Chios
“The Latin form of the island’s Greek name.”
Middle English
English
Chios
“The island name adopted through classical and medieval geographic writing.”
Modern English
English
Chios
“The standard English name for the Greek Aegean island.”
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