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Mau·ri·tius

(mô-rĭshəs, -ē-əs)

An island country in the southwest Indian Ocean comprising the island of Mauritius and several small dependencies in the Mascarene Islands. Originally uninhabited, the islands were probably known to Arab and Malay traders in the Middle Ages. Mauritius was controlled by the Dutch (1598-1710), the French (1715-1810), and the British (after 1814) before independence was achieved in 1968. It became a republic in 1992. Port Louis is the capital and the largest city.

Mau·ritian adj. & n.

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Mauritius

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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