atholhu
atholhu
Dhivehi (Maldivian)
“The ring-shaped coral islands named in the language of those who live there.”
Atoll comes from Dhivehi އަތޮޅު (atholhu), the word for the ring-shaped coral formations in the Maldives. The Maldives are almost entirely atolls.
Darwin studied atolls to understand coral reef formation. He proposed that atolls form when volcanic islands sink while coral keeps growing upward.
The word entered English in 1625 through traveler accounts of the Maldives. Now 'atoll' is standard geological vocabulary.
The Maldivian word for their home became scientific terminology.
Related Words
Today
Atoll is now climate change vocabulary — these low-lying islands are among the first threatened by rising seas.
The Maldivian word for home names endangered paradise.
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