Antillia
|An-til-li-a|
/ænˈtɪliə/
legendary Atlantic island
Etymology
'Antillia' originates from Portuguese, specifically the word 'Antilha', where 'anti-' meant 'opposite' and 'ilha' meant 'island'.
'Antillia' changed from medieval Portuguese/Latin forms such as 'Antilia' and was recorded on 15th-century nautical charts; the name later influenced the use of 'Antilles' for the Caribbean island group.
Initially, it referred to a particular legendary island in the Atlantic; over time the name has been used more broadly in cartography and as a source for the name of the Antilles, and occasionally as a modern proper name.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a legendary or phantom island said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean; depicted on some medieval and early-modern maps (also called the Isle of Seven Cities or Antilia).
Antillia appears on several 15th-century maps as a large island in the Atlantic.
Synonyms
Noun 2
(Rare/variant) A proper name sometimes used (variant spelling Antilia) for modern uses, e.g., the private residence named Antilia in Mumbai; used as a toponym or building name.
Some modern sources use Antillia (spelled Antilia) as the name of the private residence in Mumbai.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/02 09:45