nesos

Nesos, transliterated from the Greek νησος (nesos), is the general term used in ancient and modern Greek to mean a geographic island. In classical texts, nesos is a common noun describing any island within a sea or region; its plural nesoi (νήσοι) refers to multiple islands. Because it is a common noun rather than a proper name, nesos does not designate a specific place; the intended island depends on context, geography, and the author.

In modern Greek, the everyday word for island is nisí (νήσι). The older form nesos survives mainly in linguistic discussions, etymology, and some learned or transliterated usage, and it can appear in translations of Greek texts into other languages. The concept of the nesos has been important in Greek geography and maritime culture, where the archipelagic nature of the Aegean and Ionian Seas shaped trade networks, settlement patterns, and political organization.

The term also appears in toponymy and scholarly descriptions as part of compound forms or as a reference in historical accounts of island groups. While Nesos is not the name of a single enduring place, it remains a foundational term in the study of Greek geography and language.