Sylt
/zʏlt/noun
Sylt is a German island in the North Frisian Islands of the North Sea.
Did you know?Sylt’s name has no securely established meaning; scholars have proposed a connection with the Scandinavian word for “herring,” but the origin remains disputed.
Etymological Timeline
Early medieval period
North Frisian/Danish
Sild
“An early recorded form of the island’s name; its connection with the Scandinavian word for “herring” is possible but unproven.”
1148
Latin record
Sylto
“One of the earliest documented written forms of the island name.”
14th Century
Middle Low German
Sylt
“A medieval form referring to the North Sea island.”
Early modern period
Danish/Frisian
Sild/Sylt
“Variant forms continued in Scandinavian and Frisian contexts.”
Modern English
English
Sylt
“The established proper name of the German North Frisian island.”