īnsula
feminine
The Latin word for island is īnsula.
The primary meaning of īnsula is an area of land completely surrounded by water. In later Latin and Vulgar Latin, the word īnsula could also refer to a block of buildings or an apartment, a sense that survives in some Romance languages.
Meaning: area of land completely surrounded by water (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word īnsula is a feminine noun. The plural form of īnsula is īnsulae.
Did you know?
- The English word 'insulate' shares the same root as īnsula, as both relate to the concept of being 'set apart' or 'enclosed' like an island.
- The English word 'peninsula' literally means 'almost an island', combining the Latin 'paene' for 'almost' and īnsula.
- In ancient Rome, an īnsula was often a crowded, multi-story apartment building where the poor lived, while the wealthy stayed in a 'domus'.
Examples in context
- Insula in aestuario fluminis sita est.The island is located in the estuary of the river.
- In maris angulo insululae splendidae sunt.There are beautiful little islands in the corner of the sea.
- Erat parva insula in medio lacu.There was a small island in the middle of the lake.
- Īnsula est in mari.The island is in the sea.
- Videō īnsulam longam.I see a long island.
Example conversation
Julia and Marcus are looking at a map of the Mediterranean.
- JuliaUbi est haec īnsula?Where is this island?
- MarcusĪnsula in medio maris est.The island is in the middle of the sea.
- JuliaEstne īnsula magna?Is the island large?
- MarcusNon, illa īnsula parva est.No, that island is small.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “island” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
