Canary Islands
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Canary Islands
- /kəˈnɛəɹi ˌaɪləndz/
Where it comes from
Partial calque of Spanish Islas Canarias, itself likely a partial calque, with the plural of isla (“island”), of Latin Canāriae Īnsulae (literally “Islands of the Dogs”), from the feminine plural of canārius (“of or pertaining to dogs”) + the plural of īnsula f (“island”). Perhaps so named because monk seals or sea dogs were abundant, a name that was evidently generalized from the ancient name of one of these islands, Canaria – presumably Gran Canaria. According to the historian Pliny the Elder, the island Canaria contained “vast multitudes of dogs of very large size”. The connection to dogs is retained in the autonomous community’s coat of arms, which is also included in its flag. The canary was named after the islands, not vice versa.
proper noun the Canary Islands · Canary Island
-
An archipelago and autonomous community of Spain, off the coast of northwestern Africa, near Morocco.
Fernando Clavijo, head of the Canary Islands government, posted on X: "It is intolerable that lives continue to be lost. The Canaries cannot get used to or accept as normal the fact that the Atlantic continues to be a death trap."
Similar: Canaries
noun
- plural of Canary Island (“an island of the Canary Islands”)
Translations
Every language
name an archipelago off the coast of north-western Africa
| Español | Islas Canarias, Canarias |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 카나리아 제도 Kanaria jedo |
| 日本語 | カナリア諸島 Kanaria-shotō |
| 中文 | 加那利群島 /加那利群岛 Jiānàlì qúndǎo |
| Kiswahili | Visiwa vya Kanari |
| Português | Ilhas Canárias, Canárias |
| Français | îles Canaries, Canaries |
| Deutsch | Kanarische Inseln, Kanaren, Glückliche Inseln hinter dem Winde |
| Italiano | Isole Canarie |
| Ελληνικά | Κανάριοι Νήσοι Kanárioi Nísoi, Κανάρια Νησιά Kanária Nisiá |
| Română | Insulele Canare |
| Русский | Кана́рские острова́ Kanárskije ostrová, Кана́ры Kanáry |
| العربية | الجُزُرُ الخَالِدَات al-juzuru l-ḵālidāt, جُزُر اَلْكَنَارِيَّة juzur al-kanāriyya, جُزُر اَلْكَنَارِي juzur al-kanārī |
| עברית | האיים הקנריים ha'i'ym ha'qanari'ym |
Talk about this word "Canary Islands." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/canary%20islands. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Canary Islands. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/canary%20islands "Canary Islands." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/canary%20islands.Cite this
@misc{canary_islands_2026,
title = {Canary Islands},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/canary%20islands},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
