Mauritius
/məˈrɪʃəs/noun
An island country in the southwestern Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar.
Did you know?Mauritius was named in 1598 by Dutch sailors after Maurice of Nassau, while the name Maurice ultimately derives from Latin Maurus, meaning “Moor.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μαῦρος (mauros)
“Dark or black”
Classical Latin
Latin
Maurus
“A Moor; a person from Mauretania in North Africa”
Late Latin
Latin
Mauricius
“Of or belonging to Mauritius/Maurice; the name of Saint Maurice”
1598
Dutch
Mauritius
“Name given to the island by Dutch sailors in honor of Maurice of Nassau”
17th Century
Dutch/English
Mauritius
“The established name of the Indian Ocean island”
Modern English
English
Mauritius
“An island country and the sovereign state occupying it”