Peninsula

/pəˈnɪnsjələ/ or /pəˈnɪnsələ/ noun

Definition

A peninsula is a piece of land that is almost completely surrounded by water but still connected to a larger area of land. It often sticks out into a sea, lake, or ocean.

Etymology

“Peninsula” comes from Latin *paene* (“almost”) and *insula* (“island”), literally meaning “almost island.” The word describes land that is nearly, but not quite, an island.

Kelly Says

A peninsula is nature’s ‘almost island’—the name says so directly in Latin. It’s a geographic in-between, not fully cut off, not fully attached. The word shows how we notice and name the gray areas, not just the extremes.

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