Tortuga
/tɔːrˈtuːɡə/noun
A Spanish word for “turtle,” also used in English as the name of the Caribbean island historically associated with pirates.
Did you know?The ultimate origin of Spanish tortuga is uncertain: it may descend from Late Latin tortūca, possibly influenced by Greek or other Mediterranean names for the turtle.
Etymological Timeline
Late Antiquity
Late Latin
tortūca
“A turtle or tortoise; the form is recorded as an ancestor of the Romance words.”
Medieval Period
Old Spanish
tortuga
“Turtle or tortoise.”
Medieval Period
Old French
tortue
“Turtle or tortoise; a related Romance form.”
Medieval Period
Italian
tartaruga
“Turtle or tortoise; a related Romance form with an expanded middle syllable.”
16th Century
Spanish
Tortuga
“The name applied to the Caribbean island now known as Île de la Tortue, likely referring to its turtle-like shape.”
Modern English
English
Tortuga
“A Spanish loanword and proper name, especially associated with the pirate stronghold off Hispaniola.”