What does soland mean?
Soland is a rare, archaic English noun for the gannet, the large, streamlined seabird of the North Atlantic. It also appears as an older spelling or historical variant of solan, which is more often encountered in modern references. In literary and older natural-history writing, a soland is the bird itself rather than a synonym for a different species: the context may describe it diving for fish or nesting in large colonies on cliffs and islands. The term is not a modern everyday word and will usually be met in older books, dictionaries, or quotations rather than current general prose. Pronounced with initial stress, it has the rhythm SOH-lund, with the vowel varying between British and American English. Soland is chiefly interesting for its history because it preserves a form associated with Old Norse and other Scandinavian names for the gannet. Its rarity makes it more suitable for careful reading, quotation, or antiquarian writing than for ordinary contemporary description.
nounAn archaic English term for a gannet, a large North Atlantic seabird. It is also encountered as a historical spelling or variant of solan.
- A gannet, especially the North Atlantic seabird Sula bassana.
"A solitary soland circled above the fishing boat before plunging into the grey sea."
"The cliffs were crowded with nesting solands, their white plumage bright against the dark rock."
"In the older text, the term soland refers to the diving seabird now more commonly called a gannet."
This is the regular plural of the rare historical form; solan is now the usual spelling.
"Several solands circled above the nesting colony."
Soland preserves a distinctly Scandinavian word for the gannet, the seabird that dives headfirst into the sea.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of soland
Soland comes through Middle English soland from Old Norse súlangr, a term for a gannet. Its base is also represented by Icelandic súla and Norwegian sule, both names for the bird; the modern genus Sula reflects the same naming tradition. The English form survives mainly as an archaic term and spelling.
How soland is actually used
Soland is archaic and uncommon in contemporary English. It is encountered chiefly in older literature, historical natural-history writing, quotations, and dictionaries; solan is normally preferred in modern usage.
Easily confused with soland
Soland is an archaic form or spelling of solan, while solan is the more usual modern English name for the gannet.