Origin and spelling of the name
The earliest mention of the island in the Western world was on a map by Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer, who labelled the island "Pulo Carcata." ("Pulo" is a form of pulau, the Indonesian word for "island".) There are two generally accepted spellings, Krakatoa and Krakatau. While Krakatoa is more common in the English-speaking world, Krakatau (or Krakatao in an older Portuguese based spelling) tends to be favored by Indonesians. The origin of the spelling Krakatoa is unclear, but may have been the result of a typographical error made in a British source reporting on the massive eruption of 1883.
Theories as to the origin of the Indonesian name Krakatau include:
* Onomatopoeia, imitating the noise made by white parrots that used to inhabit the island.
* From Sanskrit karka or karkata or karkataka, meaning "lobster" or "crab".
* From Malay kelakatu, meaning "white-winged ant".
There is a popular story that Krakatau was the result of a......
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