This unique place has several words which may be new to you, or have specific local meanings. I have tried to collect together these words and cross-reference them from across this web site into this glossary.
| Acceleration | Playing hard at sports and activities |
| All-inclusive | Holiday package where meals, accommodation and more are included in the price |
| Animation | Co-ordinated resort activity |
| Animator | Activity co-ordinators on the resort |
| Areca nut | Green fruit of the Areca palm, ripening to orange, not unlike mango |
| Arrack | Strong alcoholic spirit made from grain and coconut, with a taste between run and whisky |
| Atoll | Ring-shaped chain of coral islands. The Maldives is a garland of 22 atolls. |
| Ayurveda | Traditional Hindu holistic therapy |
| Ayurvedic | Based on traditional Hindu holistic therapy |
| Beach bungalow | Room opening onto the beach with a sea view |
| Beach villa | Upmarket room opening onto the beach with a sea view |
| Betel | Vine growing all over South and Southeast Asia |
| Bleaching | A warm sea killed and bleached much of Maldives' coral in 1998 |
| Bocce | Italian game similar to lawn bowling |
| Boduberu | Ancient song and group dance with a wild rhythm |
| Bonito | Medium sized fish in the mackerel family that tastes like skipjack tuna |
| Brain coral | Spherical coral with grooved surfaces |
| Causeway | Linking road elevated on a sandbank |
| Channel | Deeper, flowing water between reefs |
| Coral | Marine organisms (polyps) that secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton |
| Coral bleaching | A warm sea killed and bleached much of Maldives' coral in 1998 |
| Corals | Sea organisms whose secretions form hard skeletons which build the reefs. Living corals form the habitat for other sea life |
| Crab race | Traditional pastime in the Maldives |
| Cut through | A pathway across the lagoon floor linking an island to its reef |
| Cuts through | Pathways across the lagoon floor linking an island to its reef |
| Deceleration | Unwinding through meditation and/or other therapies |
| Decompression chamber | To treat diving related disorders such as decompression sickness (the bends) |
| Decompression sickness | 'The bends' - joint pain and other symptoms caused by ascending rapidly from a dive without adjusting pressure adequately |
| Desalinated | Sea water processed to remove salt and other impurities |
| Dhiraagu | The Maldives' principle phone company |
| Dhivehi | Native language of the Maldives |
| Dhoni | Maldivian fishing boat, also used for ferrying |
| Dive base | Staffed centre/school on each resort that co-ordinates equipment, training and trips for scuba diving |
| Dive centre | Staffed base/school on each resort that co-ordinates equipment, training and trips for scuba diving |
| Dive safari | Holiday package completely built around diving |
| Dive school | Staffed centre/base on each resort that co-ordinates equipment, training and trips for scuba diving |
| Double tank | Scuba diving with 2 oxygen tanks to increase duration |
| Drift dive | Being carried along by a known current for relaxation and preservation of oxygen |
| Drift diving | Being carried along by a known current for relaxation and preservation of oxygen |
| Drop-off | Steep edge of the reef as it drops into the depths, and where much life gathers |
| Faro | Submerged ring reef inside an atoll (also Faru) |
| Faru | Submerged ring reef inside an atoll (also Faro) |
| Fishermen's islands | Uninhabited islands used by local fishermen as stopping off points |
| Free dive | Swim underwater by holding one's breath |
| Free diving | Swimming underwater by holding one's breath |
| Garden villa | Interior rooms on a resort island |
| Giffili | Maldivian domestic outdoor washing area with a well for showering - a design feature on some resorts |
| Giri | Coral structure similar to thila (underwater columns) but smaller |
| Green Resort Award | Prominent annual award to the resort best adopting/embedding green policies |
| Groyne | Long structures from the shore to stop sand movement. |
| Hammerhead | Distinctive shark, thrilling to see when diving. Scalloped hammerhead is fished commercially |
| High season | Late December to April there is little rain and continual sunshine in the Maldives |
| Hobie cat | Popular small sailing boat with 2 hulls |
| House reef | Coral reef on a resort's own island |
| Hulhule | Island hosting the Malé International airport |
| Infinity pool | Swimming pool creating the illusion of the water merging with the sea |
| Inhabited island | Island on which native Maldivians live |
| Island hopping | Trips to deserted, fishermen's or native islands |
| Kitesurfing | Riding waves by surfing with a controllable kite for wind propulsion |
| Laari | (L) Maldivian currency, one hundredth of a rufiyaa |
| Lagoon | The shallows between an island and its reef |
| Legal intoxication | The chewing of areca in betel as a mild stimulant is called 'dhu'fun' |
| Low season | Late May to early September see warm sunny days interspersed with sporadic cloud and rain |
| Maldivian Lady | White rum, apricot brandy, a dash of grenadine and pineapple and orange juice |
| Marlin | Large, fast game fish (up to 110 km/h), also eaten in fine dining |
| Minaret | Tall tower with onion shaped crown standing clear of its mosque |
| Monsoon | A wind direction determining a season of weather |
| Mooring buoy | Permanent buoys lessen the harmful effects of anchors on the delicate underwater ecosystem |
| Multi-tank | Scuba diving with multiple gas tanks enables longer duration underwater |
| MVR | Banking code for Maldivian rufiyaa, exchanged at roughly 13 to 1 US dollar |
| Night dive | Going scuba diving at night for a better sight of predators |
| Night diving | Scuba diving at night for a better sight of predators |
| Nitrox | Nitrogen/oxygen breathing gas lasts longer than the usual mix |
| Nudibranch | Shell-less mollusc in a variety of shapes and colours |
| Open water certification | Scuba dive training for the competency required to dive without professional supervision |
| PADI | Professional Association of Diving Instructors. World recognised training courses. |
| Parrotfish | Common, colourful fish who grind up coral into the sand that forms coral islands |
| Pelagic | Fish that live in the open sea |
| Plunge pool | Small but deep pool for dipping rather than swimming |
| Pontoon | Floating bridge or landing stage |
| President | Since 2008 the Maldives is a democracy with multiparty elections, led by a president |
| Pumped | Sand pumped from the lagoon to fill beach gaps. Looks good but feels coarser |
| Pumping | Sand pumped from the lagoon to fill beach gaps. Looks good but feels coarser |
| Rebreather | Scuba diving equipment that recycles breath for longer duration underwater |
| Reef | Coral barrier under the sea - mostly island reefs in Maldives |
| Rf | Abbreviation for Rufiyaa, Maldives' principle unit of currency, and exchanged at roughly 13 to 1 US dollar |
| Rufiyaa | Maldivian currency (MVR), made of 100 laari, and exchanged at roughly 13 to 1 US dollar. |
| Safari | A cruise or boat-based holiday centred on one activity |
| Sand pumping | Sand pumped from the lagoon to fill beach gaps. Looks good but feels coarser. |
| Scuba dive | Swim underwater by carrying a breathing gas set |
| Scuba diving | Swimming underwater by carrying a breathing gas set |
| Seaplane | Common means of transfer to farther resorts (and a breathtaking journey) |
| Skipjack | Type of tuna fish, farmed for food |
| Snorkel | Swim on the surface with a mask for visibility and a tube for breathing |
| Snorkelling | Swimming on the surface with a mask for visibility and a snorkel tube for breathing |
| Sommelier | Wine steward |
| Sultan | Sovereign Muslim leaders ruled from conversion to Islam (1153) until after Independence (1965) |
| Swing joli | Traditional Maldivian outdoor swing seat |
| Thakuru | Maldivian butler |
| Thila | Underwater column of coral |
| Thilafushi | Artificial island west of Malé created as a landfill to solve rubbish disposal problems |
| Thundukunaa | Beautiful traditional Maldivian grass mats |
| Titan triggerfish | Feisty reef fish up to 75cm in length |
| Triggerfish | Brightly coloured spotted or striped fish, some growing up to 90cm |
| Tsunami | After the tsunami on 26/12/04 some resorts needed rebuilding |
| UTC | Coordinated Universal Time, effectively the same as Greenwich Meantime (GMT - the UK in winter) |
| Wahoo | Green-blue game fish, popular for its succulent flesh and fast speed (up to 80 km/h) |
| Wataniya | The Maldives' second phone company |
| Water bungalow | Over-water room on stilts in the lagoon, usually connected by a jetty |
| Water suite | Top end over-water room on stilts in the lagoon, usually connected by a jetty |
| Water villa | Upmarket over-water room on stilts in the lagoon, usually connected by a jetty |
| Yellowfin | Large tuna hunted for sport and also widely eaten |
| Ziyarat |
'Holy place' |
Adrian Neville lived in the Maldives and writes the definitive guide book: "Resorts of Maldives", now in its fifth edition. Having tirelessly reviewed every single resort, he is now continually asked ‘which is the best Maldives Hotel for my