Caribbean island, from Spanish fem. of antiguo, literally "ancient, antique" (see antique); discovered by Columbus in 1493 and named by him for the church of Santa Maria la Antigua ("Old St. Mary's") in Seville. Related: Antiguan.
Entries linking to antigua
antique adj.
1530s, "aged, venerable;" 1540s, "having existed in ancient times," from French antique "old" (14c.), from Latin antiquus (later anticus) "ancient, former, of olden times; old, long in existence, aged; venerable; old-fashioned," from PIE *anti- "before" (from root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "in front of, before") + *okw- "to see."
Originally pronounced in English like its doublet antic, but French pronunciation and spelling were adopted in English from c. 1700. The meaning "not modern" is from 1640s. Related: Antiqueness.