armorica
|Ar-mo-ri-ca|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑɹməˈrɪkə/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑːməˈrɪkə/
land by the sea
Etymology
'Armorica' originates from Gaulish (a Continental Celtic language), specifically the compound 'are-mori' (also attested as 'aremorīca'), where 'are-' meant 'in front of' or 'by' and 'mori' meant 'sea'.
'Armorica' passed into Latin as 'Aremorica' and later into Old French as 'Armorique', eventually yielding the modern English form 'Armorica'.
Initially it meant 'land in front of the sea' or 'coastal land'; over time it became the proper name for the northwestern coastal region of ancient Gaul and related administrative/geographical concepts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a historical and geographical region of northwestern Gaul (ancient France), roughly corresponding to modern Brittany and parts of Normandy; inhabited in antiquity by Celtic tribes and known to the Romans.
Armorica was home to several Celtic tribes long before Roman rule.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in historical or literary contexts, the Roman-era province or district referred to as Armorica.
Roman records mention administrative matters concerning Armorica in the 1st century CE.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/17 00:24