Etymology

Antigua

An·tigua
A1N1T1I1G2U1A1

Today it means: The largest island of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, in the Caribbean. Full definition →

Spanish antigua ← Old Spanish antigo ← Latin antīquus
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énti
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ekʷ-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énti-h₃kʷ-o-s
  6. Latinantīquus
  7. Old Spanishantigo
  8. Spanishantiguo
  9. Spanishantigua
  10. English todayAntigua

From Spanish antigua, in honor of a religious icon of St Mary (La Virgen de la Antigua) in Seville. Coined by Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.

First known use, by meaning

  • from late 16th c. The largest island of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, in the Caribbean.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.