'island' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'īeġland', where 'īeġ' meant 'island' and 'land' meant 'land'. The modern spelling was later influenced by Old French 'isle' (from Latin 'insula'), which introduced the 's'.

'island' changed from Old English 'īeġland' to Middle English forms such as 'iland', and was later influenced by Old French 'isle' (from Latin 'insula'), resulting in the modern English spelling 'island'.

Initially, it meant 'land surrounded by water'; over time this core meaning has remained largely the same, though the word has also been used figuratively for isolated places or groups.