mediterranean sea
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Mediterranean Sea¹
- /ˌmɛ.dɪ.təˈɹeɪ.nɪ.ən ˈsiː/ UK
- /ˌmɛ.də.təˈɹeɪ.ni.ən ˈsi/ US
- /ˌmɛ.də.təˈɹeɪ.njən ˈsi/ US
Where it comes from
Calque of Late Latin Mare Mediterraneum.
proper noun the Mediterranean Sea
-
The sea between Europe and Africa.
Similar: Middle Ocean, Terrene Sea, Great Sea, Hinder Sea, Sea of the Philistines, The Sea, Wendel Sea, Western Sea
mediterranean sea²
- /ˌmɛ.dɪ.təˈɹeɪ.nɪ.ən ˈsiː/ UK
- /ˌmɛ.də.təˈɹeɪ.ni.ən ˈsi/ US
- /ˌmɛ.də.təˈɹeɪ.njən ˈsi/ US
Where it comes from
PIE word
*médʰyos
The word mediterranean is from Latin mediterrāneus (“inland, remote from the coast”) + English -an (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’). Mediterrāneus is derived from medius (“middle”) + terra (“dry land, ground”), modelled after Ancient Greek μεσόγαιος (mesógaios, “located in the midst of land”). The English word is cognate with Middle French méditerranéen (modern French méditerranéen), Italian mediterraneo, Spanish mediterráneo.
noun mediterranean seas
- A mostly enclosed sea that has limited exchange of deep water with outer oceans, and where the water circulation is dominated by salinity and temperature differences rather than winds. To this day they haue not diſouered at the Indies any Mediterranean Sea, as in Europe, Aſia, and Affrica, into the which there enters ſome arme of this great Sea, and makes diſtinct Seas, taking their names from the Prouinces they waſh: and almoſt all of the Mediterranean Seas continue and ioyne tog
Translations
Every language
name sea between Europe and Africa
| Español | mar Mediterráneo, Mediterráneo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 지중해 Jijunghae |
| 日本語 | 地中海 Chichūkai |
| 中文 | 地中海 Dìzhōnghǎi |
| हिन्दी | भूमध्य सागर bhūmadhya sāgar |
| Kiswahili | Bahari ya Mediterania, Bahari ya Kati |
| Português | Mediterrâneo, Mar Mediterrâneo |
| Français | mer Méditerranée, Méditerranée |
| Deutsch | Mittelmeer |
| Italiano | Mar Mediterraneo, Mediterraneo, Medioceano |
| Ελληνικά | Μεσόγειος Θάλασσα Mesógeios Thálassa, Μεσόγειος Mesógeios |
| Română | Marea Mediterană |
| Русский | Средизе́мное мо́ре Sredizémnoje móre |
| Tiếng Việt | Địa Trung Hải |
| العربية | البَحْرُ الأَبْيَضُ الْمُتَوَسِّط al-baḥru l-ʔabyaḍu l-mutawassiṭ, البَحْرُ المُتَوَسِّط al-baḥru l-mutawassiṭ, بَحْرُ الشَّام baḥru š-šām, بَحْرُ الرُّوم baḥru r-rūm |
| עברית | הַיָּם הַתִּיכוֹן ha-yam ha-tikhón |
noun mostly enclosed sea
| Español | mar mediterráneo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 지중해 jijunghae |
| 日本語 | 地中海 chichūkai |
| 中文 | 陸間海 /陆间海 lùjiānhǎi, 地中海 Dìzhōnghǎi |
| हिन्दी | भूमध्य सागर bhūmadhya sāgar |
| Português | mar mediterrâneo, mar continental |
| Français | mer méditérranéenne |
| Deutsch | Mittelmeer |
| Italiano | mare mediterraneo |
| Română | mare mediteraneană |
| Русский | средизе́мное мо́ре sredizémnoje móre |
Talk about this word "mediterranean sea." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/mediterranean%20sea. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. mediterranean sea. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/mediterranean%20sea "mediterranean sea." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/mediterranean%20sea.Cite this
@misc{mediterranean_sea_2026,
title = {mediterranean sea},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/mediterranean%20sea},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
