Dardanelles
/ˌdɑːrdəˈnɛlz/noun
A narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara.
Did you know?The name comes from ancient Dardania, the legendary land associated with Dardanus, a figure in Greek myth tied to the royal ancestry of Troy.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Δαρδανελλια / Dardanellia
“A name used for the strait, linked to the region of Dardania and the mythic figure Dardanus.”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
Δαρδανία / Dardania
“The land of the Dardani, associated in myth with the ancestors of the Trojans.”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
Δάρδανος / Dardanos
“A legendary ancestor-figure in Greek myth, connected with Troy and Dardania.”
Late Latin / Medieval Greek
Latin/Greek
Dardanelli
“A form used in later historical naming for the strait and nearby fortifications.”
16th Century
Italian
Dardanelli
“The Italian name for the strait, later borrowed into English.”
Modern English
English
Dardanelles
“The modern English name of the Turkish strait.”