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Glite Dictionary
Windward Islands

Windward Islands

4.8
A group of islands in the southeast Caribbean Sea that form the southern Lesser Antilles
  • proper noun
translation icon : Islas de Barlovento
  • The Windward Islands are known for their rich cultural heritage and vibrant Caribbean music.

Examples

  • Many natural wonders can be found in the Windward Islands, such as lush rainforests and beautiful beaches.

  • Two early records of stilt masquerades in the Caribbean come from St. Vincent, an anglophone island in the central Windward Islands.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The Windward Islands include popular tourist destinations like Saint Lucia and Grenada.

Synonyms

Windward Isles
vsWindward Islands
7.0

A group of islands in the eastern Caribbean, including Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Martinique

has identical meaning but uses the more common modern word form

Surface Forms

Windward Islands main

Morphology

windward + island

The compound simply names islands on the windward (wind-exposed) side, so a learner who knows 'windward' (exposed to the wind) and 'island' can compose the meaning: islands facing the prevailing winds. This is a transparent, compositionally predictable geographic term and similar windward/leeward distinctions exist in many languages, aiding comprehension.

Etymology

Windward Islands comes from sailors. The word windward means 'facing the wind' because ships meeting strong winds reached those islands first, so the name shows they are the wind-facing part of the island group.