An archipelago is a group of islands, usually many small ones in the same stretch of sea. Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia are archipelagos; so are smaller groups that share one name.

An archipelago is a group of islandsan archipelago是一群島嶼， usually many small ones in the same stretch of sea通常是同一片海域裡好幾座小島。 Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia are archipelagos日本、菲律賓、印尼都是archipelagos； so are smaller groups that share one name共用一個名字的小島群也是。

It is a geography word, a little formal; in everyday talk people often just say “a group of islands.” Though actually, it did not start as “any island group.” Italian arcipelago first named the Aegean Sea — the “chief sea” between Greece and Turkey, which is full of islands. People used the sea’s name for those islands, and then for island groups anywhere.

It is a geography word, a little formal這是個地理用字，有點正式； in everyday talk people often just say “a group of islands.”平常講話大家常常就直接說「a group of islands」（一群島）。 Though actually不過其實， it did not start as “any island group.”它一開始並不是指「任何一群島」。 Italian arcipelago first named the Aegean Sea義大利文的arcipelago最早指的是愛琴海—— the “chief sea” between Greece and Turkey, which is full of islands也就是希臘和土耳其之間那片布滿島嶼的「主海」。 People used the sea’s name for those islands後來人們就用那片海的名字去稱呼那些島， and then for island groups anywhere再後來變成泛指任何地方的島群。

So the school meaning now is a group of islands; the messy history is that it first pointed at one particular sea. The beginning looks like the stone arch over a door, but that is not the piece: here archi- means chief or primary, not a curve in a wall.

So the school meaning now is a group of islands所以現在課本上的意思就是「一群島」； the messy history is that it first pointed at one particular sea但混亂的歷史是，它最早指的其實是某一片特定的海。 The beginning looks like the stone arch over a door開頭那部分看起來像門上的石拱門那個arch， but that is not the piece但那不是這裡的重點： here archi- means chief or primary在這裡archi-指的是「首要、主要」， not a curve in a wall不是牆上的一道弧形。