Formosa

From Portuguese Ilha Formosa (“Beautiful Isle”), from formosa (“beautiful”), from Latin fōrmōsus (“beautifully formed”), from fōrma (“form, shape”) + the adjective suffix -ōsus (“full of”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /fɔːˈməʊ.sə/

• Audio (Berkshire, England)

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /fɔɹˈmoʊ.sə/, /fɔɹˈmoʊ.zə/
• Rhymes: -əʊsə

Formosa

1. The island of Taiwan

   Synonym: Taiwan

   • 1625, Samuel Purchas, Pvrchas His Pilgrimes‎, volume I, London, OCLC 219967499, page 652:

     Heere we had the higheſt Land of Formoſa, South-eaſt, the neereſt land about eight leagues off, the neather point of it Eaſt by North ten leagues off our depth, fortie ſixe fathomes ozie : the latitude twentie fiue degree twentie minutes. From the high Land of Formoſa, ſtretcheth out a lower Land to the water-ſide, being a white ſandy ſhoare, and ſmooth ſand Hils farther vp the Countrey, much like to the Coaſt of Barbary.

   • 1669, Nievhoff, John, John Ogilby, transl., An Embassy from the Eaſt-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham Emperour of China‎, London: John Macock, OCLC 561227535, page 16:

     The Iſland Formoſa, or the fair Iſland doth alſo belong to this Province ; as likewiſe the near adjacent Iſland called Teiwan, which the Hollanders poſſeſs, who have built a Fort there called new Zealand.

   • 1684, A New and Particular Relation of the Kingdom of Tunquin‎, page 57:

     THE Iſland of Formoſa is about Eighty Leagues in compaſs ; ſo that the Hollanders were never in poſſeſſion of the whole Iſland, but were onely Maſters of four Fortreſſes, and two and fifty Villages, wherein they could number about fourteen or fifteen thouſand Inhabitants.

   • 1950 September 1, Truman, Harry S., MP72-73 Korea and World Peace: President Truman Reports to the People‎, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162, 3:42 from the start:

     We do not want Formosa or any part of Asia for ourselves. We believe that the future of Formosa should be settled peacefully by international action.

   • 1960, Presidential Candidates Debate‎, 56:02 from the start:

     These two islands are in the area of freedom. The Nationalists have these two islands. We should not force our Nationalist allies to get off of them and give them to the Communists. If we do that, we start a chain reaction, because the Communists aren't after Quemoy and Matsu, they're after Formosa.

   • 1963, Dwight Eisenhower, Mandate for Change 1953-1956‎, Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, LCCN 63-18447, OCLC 64309101, page 168:

     The developing scene had ominous aspects. The Chinese Communists were constantly threatening aggressive action against Formosa and the government of Chiang Kai-shek. Ever since World War II, the United States had recognized the strategic necessity of maintaining the integrity of the Western Pacific island chain, including Formosa as one of its principal links. Our readiness to go to the defense of that island, if it were attacked, had been announced as a governmental policy before I was inaugurated, and I had personally emphasized the importance of this island's safety to our nation's security.

   • 1984, Bilek, Anton, “Anton Bilek”, in Studs Terkel, editor, "The Good War": An Oral History of World War Two‎, New York: Pantheon Books, →ISBN, LCCN 84-42710, OCLC 464089968, page 84:

     When our airplanes first took off that morning, the Japs did come in. They hit the city of Baguio in the northern part of Luzon, and then went back to Formosa.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Formosa.
2. An insular province of China. [from late 19th c.]

   Synonym: Taiwan

   1. (historical) A province of the Qing (Ching) dynasty (Manchu). [from late 19th c.]
      • 1887 April 6, “A Camphor Monopoly.”, in Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter‎, volume XXXI, number 14, OCLC 7495596, page 56, column 1:

        A new broom is not more active for reform than this new governor-general is in the new province of Formosa.

      • 1895, Verbal Discussions During Peace Negotiations Between the Chinese Plenipotentiary, Viceroy Li Hung-chang and the Japanese Plenipotentiaries Count Ito and Viscount Mutsu, at Shimonoseki, Japan‎, OCLC 16134394, page 22, column 1:

        H. E. Li.—We can say in the Treaty "In respect to the province of Formosa, when the Treaty has been ratified and exchanged the two Governments shall draw up the conditions for the transfer."

      • 1915, Campbell, William, Sketches from Formosa‎, Marshall Brothers Limited, OCLC 4658679, OL 6601913M, page 261:

        UNTIL 1895, Formosa formed the nineteenth and only insular province of China, but after coming briefly under a Republican form of government, it became an integral part of the Empire of Japan.

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Formosa.
   2. A province of the Republic of China. [from 20th c.]
      • 1961 January 28, The Economist‎, ISSN 0013-0613, OCLC 781372551, page 330, column 2; republished as Current, 1961, pages 22-23:

        Economically, the island is already far better off (with massive American aid) than it would be if it were incorporated into Communist China, and it would be better off still (and less of a burden to the American taxpayer) if its people were not required to support two governments and two civil services—one for the Chinese mainland, and the other for the province of Formosa—and an army of more than half a million, whose raison d’étre continues to be the reconquest of the mainland.

      • 1963, Glass, Sheppard, “Some Aspects of Formosa's Economic Growth”, in Mark Mancall, editor, Formosa Today‎, Frederick A. Praeger, published 1964, LCCN 64-13491, OCLC 248010817, page 80:

        Government population policy has for the most part been notable for its absence, and few leading Nationalists have publicly admitted the problem. Indeed, in 1959, in an interview with a western correspondent, Chou Chih-jou, then Governor of Formosa (province), complained that population growth was “ his most serious problem ” but his administration was hamstrung by the stand taken against artificial birth control by the central government in Taipei and the ruling Nationalist party.

      • 1994, Fraser, C.M. (Bud), “Preface”, in China Revisited‎, New York: Carlton Press, Inc., →ISBN, OCLC 32808360, pages v-vi:

        General Chiang Kai-Shek was also very prominent in the start of the uprising, but later defected and was forced out of the country to the Province of Formosa, now called Taiwan.

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Formosa.
   3. A claimed province of the People's Republic of China (mainland China). [from mid 20th c.]
      • 1961, Newman, Robert P., “Will China Accept United States Recognition?”, in Recognition of Communist China? A Study in Argument‎, New York: The Macmillan Company, LCCN 61-15184, OCLC 644063187, page 237:

        If we should propose an exchange of ambassadors, Mao Tse-tung would surely ask if our recognition extended to Communist sovereignty over the 'Province of Formosa.'

      • 1998, Weinberger, Caspar; Peter Schweizer, chapter 5, in The Next War‎ (Current Affairs), Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, →ISBN, LCCN 96-30749, OCLC 38570679, page 52:

        The armed forces of China have struck the rebellious province of Formosa with force. We demand your immediate and unconditional surrender. Failure to comply with this order will warrant further action by our forces.

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Formosa.
3. A province in northern Argentina.
4. A city in Argentina, capital of Formosa Province.

• Formosan

• Translingual: Oncomelania hupensis formosana

• “Formosa”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “Formosa, pn.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• Formosa at OneLook Dictionary Search
• “Formosa”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
• “Formosa” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2023.

Borrowed from Maltese Formosa.

Formosa (plural Formosas)

1. A surname from Maltese.

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Formosa is the 41234^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 528 individuals. Formosa is most common among White (89.2%) individuals.

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Formosa”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 1, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 590.

From Portuguese Ilha Formosa.

• IPA^(key): /ˈformosɑ/, [ˈfo̞rmo̞s̠ɑ]
• Rhymes: -ormosɑ
• Syllabification^(key): For‧mo‧sa

Formosa

1. (dated) Formosa (old name of Taiwan)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Formosa

1. a surname

• Ilha Formosa

From formosa (“beautiful”).

• Homophone: formosa
• Hyphenation: For‧mo‧sa

Formosa f

1. Formosa, Taiwan (an island of Taiwan in the Pacific)

   Synonym: Taiwan

• IPA^(key): /foɾˈmosa/ [foɾˈmo.sa]

• Audio (Peru)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -osa
• Syllabification: For‧mo‧sa

Formosa ?

1. Formosa (province)

• formoseño