I'm a member of a bulletin board entitled Scientific Whims
(http://www.livejournal.com/users/scientificwhims/). Yesterday, a fellow
posted a rather interesting question, which I have copied bellow.
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Does anyone here know what the names of the major continents mean, or why
they were named as such?
Africa
Antarctica
Asia
Australia
America
and Europe (especially this one)
I find it curious that Europe is the only continent not starting with "A." I also find it interesting the Europe could also be pronounced Ur-op, which brings in interesting formulations to the beginnings of Sumerian (Mesopetamian) cities, which mostly all started with "Ur."
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So far he's gotten an explanation for:
America (from articles viewable here:
http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa050498.htm and here:
http://www.brainevent.com/be/WackyWeek/twwih/20020304/show_article_then_toc)
Antarctica, as it is somewhat easy to see that it is the "Anti-Arctic" region.
And someone gave the explanation of the naming of Europe as follows: "Europe was named by the Greeks [or romans?] after Europa, who fell into the mediteranian after being kidnapped by Zeus/Jupiter in the shape of a bull - something like that."
But we still don't know about Asia, Australia, or Africa.
Anyone here know?
Thanks!
Abraham Feinberg
www.artlair.com/vertigoo
Here's something from a site:
Africa comes from the name of the Roman province Africa, which was in the Karthago area.
America, that is parted in two - South America and North America, is called after the Italian merchant seafarer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci. The word was used the first time 1507, when the German geographer Martin Waldseemüller named the area in his work "Cosmographiae introductio".
Asia comes probably from the Assyrian word "acu", which means "in the east".
Australia finds its origin in the latin word "australis", which means "southerly". Maybe you've heard about Terra Australis (incognita), that means "(the unknown) land in south". This aims at that Australia once was an unknown, southerly placed land.
Antarctic zone is created from the Greek word "Antarktikas", that means "Right opposite of the Nordic".
And at last:
Europe, which isn't start with an A. Europe's origin is much discussed, maybe it is Greek or maybe it is Semitic. Its means is believed to be "the land of the sunset".
http://www.linema.com/screenplace/continents.htmlI googled: "Names of continents" plus "etymology"
Best regards,
WW
P.S. Thanks for a great question!
I found a number of sites that attempted to give etymologies of these words.
I didn't find any worth citing. I suspect OED3 probably best source.
There's also a minority opinion going around that America was named, not after Amerigo Vespucci, but after John Americ, a Bristol fish merchant who supposedly owned the fishing rights to the sea off the shore of Labrador in the late 15th century. Web evidence is hard to find on this. Some may reject the claim out of hand on the mere evidence of memories of secondary school history classes.
Welcome Abraham! Rashi Damage sounds good, too
Welcome to the board, Abraham. We're a crazy yet loveable bunch here and I hope you enjoy visiting and contributing. After reading your "About Me" page, I suspect you'll fit right in. Do I have an answer to your question? Heck no but
OK, It was Richard Americ (or Amerike, or even Ap Meryk) not John. He financed John Cabot's voyage and got naming rights from it, it says here. And wait'll you hear what was his coat of arms. Here's some info on the book by Peter Macdonald:
http://www.petmac.co.uk/cabot.html
Welcome to the board, Abraham. We're a crazy yet loveable bunch here and I hope you enjoy visiting and contributing. After reading your "About Me" page, I suspect you'll fit right in.
Ditto, Sweetie! Hey, Jazz-O---finally, somebody in your age group!
Hey, Jazz-O---finally, somebody in your age group!
Whaddaya mean "finally"? Dody's been around for a while now. I keep tabs on this ya know
Whaddaya mean "finally"? Dody's been around for a while now
Oh, is she a ba--I mean, young person, too? [scampering away giggling e]
Tell you what Jackie, guess how old I am.
Older than Juliet (that I know for sure)
Younger than Joan of Arc (just)
Same age as Ophelia ( If you take the top end of the estimate)
guess how old I am.
Older than Juliet Hmmm, definitely pre-Shakespearian - 16th C?...
Younger than Joan of Arc (just)...15th C...
Same age as Ophelia ( If you take the top end of the estimate)...Shakespearian at the latest - 17th C
That would make you about 400 years old.
By 'eck, you
are a baby round here, dode.
Fishona, you know how to make a person feel old! (Helen) of troy... makes me, what, 10 time older than dody?
you've got that wrong! i know i am 47-- a prime number-- perfect for me, since i am in my prime!
(Helen) of troy... makes me, what, 10 time older than dody? Yep!
But then as
Adam I'm only a few days younger than the Earth itself...
Hmmm, still 7 years from my prime, too.
And monumentally off-thread.
Hint -- 41 is a prime number, too!(unless you want to shave off a few years and be 37)
the thing is, if you say "i am 39" people tend to think that you aren't-- it's much to much of cliche age.. but no one expect you to chose 37 or 41 or 47 as age to stay put at. there are lots of prime numbers.. and isn't better to be 47 (a prime number) rather than 49? (a square!-- who wants to be a square?)
I'm 24 square roots of 2 years old, or about 11 pi years old.
Younger than Joan of Arc (just)You're 19? (Don't feel obligated to reply, esp. in public.)
Warning: do not offer me Shakespeare. I would rather be called an ayleur than try to read Shakespeare.
In reply to:
I would rather be called an ayleur than try to read Shakespeare.
Nothing needs to be added to the above. It's a sterling admission!
Thanks!
Abraham Feinberg
www.artlair.com/vertigoo
Thank you very much!
Also, I apologize for this reply being so delayed. Apparently, I forgot to check off the e-mail notification option. Oops.
Abraham Feinberg
www.artlair.com/vertigoo