Easter Island

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English

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Etymology

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Calque of Dutch Paaseiland. Named by the island's first recorded European visitor, the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who encountered it on Easter Sunday 1722. Roggeveen named it Paasch-Eyland (an 18th century Dutch spelling). The island's official Spanish name, isla de Pascua, also means “Easter Island”.

Proper noun

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Easter Island

  1. An island in the South Pacific, belonging to Chile and famous for its moai monuments.
    Synonym: Rapa Nui
    Hyponym: Polynesia
    • 1755, A New Universal Collection of Voyages and Travels, page 320:
      The commodore, after he had quitted this iſland, ſailed 12 degrees to the weſtward, having ſight of a number of birds, which attended them till they arrived at a ſmall iſland about 16 leagues in extent, which they called Paſch, or Eaſter Iſland, from the day on which it was diſcovered.

Translations

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Further reading

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