'archipelagian' originates from English, formed from the noun 'archipelago' + the adjectival suffix '-ian'; 'archipelago' itself comes via Italian 'arcipelago' from Greek elements where 'arkhi-' meant 'chief' and 'pelagos' meant 'sea'.

'archipelagian' developed in English by adding the suffix '-ian' to the existing word 'archipelago' (from Italian 'arcipelago' and Greek 'arkhipelagos'), producing an adjective and occasional noun usage; the component Greek words 'arkhi-' and 'pelagos' gave the sense of 'main' or 'chief' + 'sea'.

Initially related to the original sense tied to 'the chief sea' through the Greek root, the word's meaning shifted to the practical modern sense 'relating to or of an archipelago' (and by extension 'a person from an archipelago').