Orkneyan

1 of 2

adjective

Ork·ney·an ˈȯrknēən

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Orkney Islands

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the people of the Orkney Islands

Orkneyan

2 of 2

noun

plural -s

: orcadian

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Orkney islands + English -an (adjective suffix)

Noun

Orkney islands + English -an (noun suffix)

Browse Nearby Words

Orkneyan

Orkney Islands

Orkney skiff

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Orkney Islands.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Orkney%20Islands. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Geographical Definition

Orkney Islands

geographical name

Ork·ney Islands ˈȯrk-nē

islands of northern Scotland constituting an administrative area; capital Kirkwall (on Mainland Island) area 376 square miles (978 square kilometers), population 19,570

Orkneyan

ˈȯrk-nē-ən

ȯrk-ˈ

adjective or noun

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

Orkneyan

adjective

noun

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Geographical Definition

geographical name

More from Merriam-Webster on Orkney Islands

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes