ARCHIPELAGO, a name now applied to (1) any island studded sea, and (2) by transference, to a group of islands, but it was originally the distinctive designation of what is now gen erally known as the Aegean Sea (Ai.yalov 7riXayos), its ancient name having been revived. The word archipelago does not occur in ancient and mediaeval Greek. `ApX1'reXayos in mod ern Greek has been introduced from Western languages. Several etymologies have been proposed: e.g. (I) a corruption of the an cient name, Egeo pelago ; (2) from the modern Greek: 'Ay 7riXayo, the Holy Sea; (3) it arose at the time of the Latin em pire, and means the Sea of the Kingdom (Arche).