Sardinia
/sɑːrˈdɪniə/noun
An island in the western Mediterranean, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Did you know?The island’s name is ancient and likely predates Latin, but the exact origin is uncertain, which is why scholars treat it as a pre-Indo-European or otherwise obscure substrate name rather than a neat Greek or Roman invention.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient pre-Roman period
Pre-Roman
*Srd- / Sard-
“An ancient place-name or ethnic name underlying the island’s later forms, with uncertain origin.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Sardō
“The Greek name for Sardinia, used for the island and its people.”
Classical Latin
Latin
Sardinia
“The Roman name for the island of Sardinia.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Sardinia
“Continued scholarly and administrative form of the island name.”
Modern English
English
Sardinia
“The modern English name of the Mediterranean island.”