English · Idiom Historical

The Island of the Moon

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Madagascar is so named by the natives. The limbus of the moon. See above.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Topics: Sun & moon Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “The Island of the Moon” mean?

Madagascar is so named by the natives. The limbus of the moon. See above.

Is “The Island of the Moon” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 0 all time