Etymology
1. Etymology tree
2. Proto-Indo-European *h₂ékʷeh₂
3. Proto-Germanic *awjō
4. Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ-
5. Proto-Indo-European *-om
6. Proto-Germanic *landą
7. Proto-Germanic *awjōlandą
8. Proto-West Germanic *auwjuland
9. Old English īeġland
10. Middle English ilond
11. English iland
12. English island
13. From earlier iland, from Middle English iland, yland, ylond, from Old English īeġland, from Proto-West Germanic *auwjuland, from Proto-Germanic *awjōlandą (from Proto-Germanic *awjō (“island, waterland, meadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂) + *landą (“land”), equivalent to ey + land.
14. Doublet of Öland. Cognate with Scots island, iland, yland (“island”), West Frisian eilân (“island”), Saterland Frisian Ailound (“island”), Dutch eiland (“island”), Low German Eiland (“island”), German Eiland (“island”), Swedish ö (“island”), Öland (“Sweden's second largest island”), Danish ø (“island”), Norwegian øy (“island”), øyland (“large island”), Icelandic eyland (“island”).
15. The insertion of ⟨s⟩—a 16th century spelling modification—is due to a change in spelling to the unrelated term isle, which previously lacked s (cf. Middle English ile, yle). The re-addition was mistakenly carried over to include iland as well. Related also to German Aue (“water-meadow”), Latin aqua (“water”). More at ea. See: Danish '
ø'.