The ridiculous things that distract one while theoretically dissertating

For the sake, especially, of Florida and the Malay peninsula, I am pleased to learn that my flash of etymological inspiration turns out to be incorrect... thanks to the OED for clearing up my momentary fascination...

Peninsula, n

[< classical Latin paeninsula < paene PENE- prefix + insula island (see INSULA n.). Compare French péninsule (1519 in Middle French as peninsule), Spanish península (1527-50 or earlier; 1726 or earlier in la península denoting the Iberian peninsula), Portuguese península (c1539), Italian penisola (16th cent.; attested earlier as penisula (a1494), peninsula (a1504)).
With the form peneinsula compare PENE- prefix. In forms probably after French.]

1. a. A piece of land that is almost completely surrounded by water; a piece of land projecting into water, such that the greater part of its boundary is coastline.

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Pene, prefix

[< classical Latin paene almost, of unknown origin. paene is used to qualify adjectives and nouns (as well as adverbs), generally written as a separate word. With some words it is written in combination (before a vowel paen-, pn-), e.g. paenultimus PENULTIM adj., paeninsula PENINSULA n. With pene-infinite adj., compare classical Latin paene infinitus.
In Latin borrowings, the form appears from the late Middle English period (see e.g. PENULTIM adj.). Formations in English are found from the late 16th cent.; in the late 16th and early 17th cent. chiefly in formations after earlier models (see e.g. PENULTIMATE adj., PENISLE n.). Formations occur more frequently from the second half of the 19th cent. onwards.]

A1. Used with the sense of ‘nearly, almost, all but’ to form adjectives and nouns.

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Penis, n

[< classical Latin penis tail, the male genital organ < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit pasas, ancient Greek . Compare French pénis (1618 as penis; subsequently from 1753).]

Anat. and Zool. The male genital organ used (usually) for copulation and for the emission or dispersal of sperm, in mammals containing erectile tissue and serving also for the elimination of urine.