Lagoons
/ləˈɡuːnz/noun
Shallow bodies of water separated from the sea by a barrier such as a sandbank, reef, or coral island.
Did you know?The English word comes through Italian *laguna*, ultimately from Latin *lacuna*—a “hollow” or “gap,” the same ancient idea behind words for empty spaces and missing places.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leikw-
“to leave behind; to remain”
Latin
Latin
lacuna
“a hole, pit, gap, or empty space”
Italian
Italian
laguna
“a lagoon; a pond or pool of salt water”
16th Century
English
lagoon
“a shallow body of water separated from the sea by a barrier”
Modern English
English
lagoons
“plural of lagoon; shallow coastal bodies of water separated from the sea”