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Glite Dictionary
Palau Islands

Palau Islands

1 5.0
A group of over 200 islands in the western Pacific that make up the country of Palau
  • proper noun
: Islas Palau
  • The Palau Islands are renowned for their pristine coral reefs and rich marine biodiversity.

Examples

  • Tourists flock to the Palau Islands for diving and snorkeling adventures.

  • During World War II, fierce battles were fought on several of the Palau Islands.

  • The beautiful Palau Islands attract many tourists each year.

  • Have you ever visited the Palau Islands?

  • The Palau Islands are renowned for their pristine coral reefs and rich marine biodiversity.

  • Tourists flock to the Palau Islands for diving and snorkeling adventures.

  • The beautiful Palau Islands attract many tourists each year.

Synonyms

Palau
vsPalau Islands
11 3.4

An island country in the western Pacific made of over 200 islands

is the island chain itself rather than the political country containing it
Belau
vsPalau Islands
9.1

An island country of over 200 islands in the western Pacific also called Palau

is the same island group but uses the country's modern official name
Pelew
vsPalau Islands
  • Archaic
9.9

An old name for the chain of islands now called Palau

is the same islands but uses the current name rather than the old one

Surface Forms

Palau Islands main

Morphology

Palau + island

The meaning is directly compositional: 'Palau' names the island nation and 'islands' means pieces of land surrounded by water, so a learner who knows both words will infer this refers to the islands belonging to or forming Palau. Proper-name + noun geographic constructions are cross-linguistically common and follow straightforward compositional rules, making the phrase immediately understandable.

Etymology

The name Palau Islands may come from the local word Belau, the name the island people used for their home. So the name points to the islands the Palauan people call their 'home'.