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Glite Dictionary
Hispaniola

Hispaniola

5 6.5
An island in the Caribbean shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic
  • proper noun
  • /ˌhɪspəˈniːlə/
translation icon : Hispaniola
  • Christopher Columbus is said to have reported sighting them cavorting off the coast of Hispaniola in 1493!
  • island of Hispaniola
  • Caribbean island of Hispaniola
  • coast of Hispaniola

He wanted to be buried, I think, on Hispaniola because he discovered it.

Examples

  • The Spanish ordered Columbus to take 1,200 Spanish settlers to Hispaniola on his second voyage, in 1493, to appropriate Taino land.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • By 1500, most of the large political structures that existed on Hispaniola in 1492 had collapsed.

    Academic text (1990)

  • We were off the coast of Hispaniola when we came under attack.

    Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

  • The two countries, of course, share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Spain promptly sent a royal official to Hispaniola who arrested Columbus and stripped him of his authority.

    Blog text (13)

  • Columbus arrives on the island of Hispaniola in 1492.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Mendez: Admiral, our only hope is to reach Hispaniola by canoe.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • In 1791, French slaves on Hispaniola rose up amid the confusion of the revolution in France.

    Blog text (11)

  • Haiti shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic (see map, page 9).

    Academic text (2011)

  • The Caribbean island of Hispaniola is home to two nations: Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east.

Surface Forms

Hispaniola main

Etymology

Hispaniola comes from the Spanish name La Española, which means 'the Spanish island' and goes back to Hispania, the old name for 'Spain'. So, the name reminds us that Columbus named the island for Spain and that is why it sounds like the English words Spanish and Hispanic today.