MEDITERRANEAN

- earlier Latin Mediterranie & the Mediterraneum Mare [Sea] from mediterraneus = midland,

surrounded by / in the midst of an expanse of land  [medius; (PIE 🔍  root medhyo =

middle) + terra = land, earth; (PIE root ters = to dry.)]

​

   In reference to sea 🔍, the sense was probably the sea in the middle of the earth - with

   the land surrounding the central sea borrowing the name for the whole region.