'archipelago' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'arcipelago', ultimately from Greek 'arkhipelagos', where 'arkhi-' meant 'chief' and 'pelagos' meant 'sea'.

'archipelago' changed from Greek 'arkhipelagos' into Medieval Latin/Italian forms such as 'archipelagus' and 'arcipelago', and eventually became the modern English word 'archipelago'.

Initially, it referred specifically to the Aegean Sea ('chief sea'), but over time it evolved into the broader meaning 'a group of islands'.