It was derived from an Aleut-language idiom, , meaning "the mainland" or, more literally, "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed".
ɪt wʌz dᵻɹˈaɪvd fɹʌm ɐn ɐlˈuːtlˈæŋɡwɪdʒ ˈɪdɪəm, , mˈiːnɪŋ "ðə mˈeɪnlənd" ɔːɹ, mˈoːɹ lˈɪɾɚɹəli, "ðɪ ˈɑːbdʒɛkt təwˈɔːɹdz wˌɪtʃ ðɪ ˈækʃən ʌvðə sˈiː ɪz dᵻɹˈɛktᵻd".