Sakhalin

Alternative forms

• Saghalien

Etymology

From Russian Сахали́н (Saxalín), which was borrowed from Manchu ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ (sahaliyan, “black”), probably from the expression Manchu ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ
ᡠᠯᠠ
ᠠᠩᡤᠠ
ᡥᠠᡩᠠ (sahaliyan ula angga hada, “the peak at the estuary of the Amur river (literally: black river)”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌsækəˈliːn/, /ˌsæx-/

Proper noun

Sakhalin

1. The largest island of Russia, off its eastern coast.
   • 1886, “SAGHALIN, or SAKHALIN”, in The Encyclopædia Britannica‎, 9th edition, volume XXI, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, page 147, column 1:

     SAGHALIN, or SAKHALIN, is the name improperly given to a large elongated island in the North Pacific, lying between 45° 57' and 54° 24' N. lat. and 141° 30' and 144° 50' E. long., off the coast of Russian Manchuria. Its proper name is Karaftu, or Karafuto.

   • 1899, D. Aïtoff, “The Russian Empire”, in Hugh Robert Mill, transl., edited by Hugh Robert Mill, The International Geography‎, George Newnes, →OCLC, page 399:

     The island of Sakhalin, separated from the mainland by the strait known as the Gulf of Tartary, resembles the neighbouring coast of Russian Manchuria in its configuration. The mountain chain which borders the west coast rises here and there into real peaks of from 3,000 to 5,000 feet in height.

2. An oblast of Russia, located on the island.

Anagrams

• Lakhanis