Santa Catalina Island

1 4.2

An island off the coast of California known for beaches, resorts, and clear water

proper noun
/ˈsæntə kætəˈliːnə ˈaɪlənd/

: Isla Santa Catalina

Many tourists visit Santa Catalina Island each year to enjoy its beautiful beaches and outdoor activities.

Examples

Have you ever been to Santa Catalina Island?
We spent our vacation exploring Santa Catalina Island and relaxing on its beaches.
Many tourists take a ferry from Los Angeles to visit Santa Catalina Island each year.
The clear waters around Santa Catalina Island are perfect for snorkeling and kayaking.
I visited Santa Catalina Island last summer.
The ferry to Santa Catalina Island often sells out during the summer months, as people flock to its resorts.
Known for its stunning ocean views, Santa Catalina Island is a popular destination for hikers and nature lovers.

Synonyms

Catalina Island

vsSanta Catalina Island

3 3.4

An island off the coast of California visited for its beaches and natural beauty

has identical meaning but uses the longer formal name form

Santa Catalina

vsSanta Catalina Island

1 4.1

An island near the coast of southern California with beaches and tourist activities

has identical meaning but prefers the full formal name

Surface Forms

Santa Catalina Island main

Morphology

Santa + Catalina + island

The phrase is a place name formed from a proper name plus the noun 'island', so a B1 learner who knows the word 'island' will understand it denotes an island called Santa Catalina even if the proper-name elements are unfamiliar. Proper names are arbitrary but the compositional pattern NAME + island is cross-linguistically common and makes the overall meaning (that this is an island) transparent.

Etymology

Santa Catalina Island may come from Spanish sailors who named the place for a saint. The words Santa Catalina mean 'Saint Catherine' in Spanish, so the name simply shows the island was named after that saint.