Madeira Islands
- proper noun
- The Madeira Islands attract thousands of tourists every year due to their mild climate and beautiful landscapes.
Examples
-
Hiking enthusiasts often visit the Madeira Islands to explore their dramatic volcanic terrain.
-
Wine exports from the Madeira Islands have been famous for centuries.
-
The Madeira Islands are known for their stunning landscapes.
-
Have you ever visited the Madeira Islands?
-
The Madeira Islands are renowned for their stunning views and unique ecology.
-
Tourists flock to the Madeira Islands to enjoy hiking and scenic coastlines.
-
Many people choose the Madeira Islands for their holidays because of the warm weather.
Synonyms
A group of volcanic islands in the Atlantic west of Morocco that are part of Portugal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'Madeira' names a place (an island/region) and 'islands' indicates a group of islands, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to the group of islands called Madeira. This place-name + plural-noun pattern is common across languages and is immediately interpretable by learners.
Etymology
Madeira Islands gets its name from the Portuguese word Madeira, which means 'wood'. Early Portuguese sailors found the islands full of trees and used the timber, so the name stuck and now refers to the group of Portuguese islands.