2006-06-14 06:23:31 · 11 answers · asked by benam 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
what is meant by that and in which language?
2006-06-14 06:27:03 · update #1
The earliest known use of the name America for this particular landmass dates from 1507. It appears on a globe and a large map created by the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. An accompanying book, Cosmographiae Introductio, explains that the name was derived from the Latinized version of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci's name, Americus Vespucius, in its feminine form, America, as the other continents all have Latin feminine names.
Vespucci's role in the naming issue, like his exploratory activity, is unclear and most probably a tale. Some sources say that he was unaware of the widespread use of his name to refer to the new landmass. Others hold that he promulgated a story that he had made a secret voyage westward and sighted land in 1491, a year before Columbus. If he did indeed make such claims, they backfired, and only served to prolong the ongoing debate on whether the "Indies" were really a new land, or just an extension of Asia.
See the link below for more information
2006-06-15 04:28:24 · answer #1 · answered by Jean-Paul J 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Amerigo Vespucci, unlike Columbus, believed the New World was NOT part of Asia. (Columbus called the natives Indians, because he thought he was in India) In 1507 the cartographer Martin Waldseemüller used the name America, probably due to the widespread circulation of Vespucci's letters from his voyages, on his world map for the first time. Thus, "America" came into creation primarily due to Vespucci insisting it was a new continent. America is a Latinized version of the Italian.
2006-06-14 07:56:08 · answer #2 · answered by HVL 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amerigo Vespucci
2006-06-14 06:26:57 · answer #3 · answered by martin b 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amerigo Vespucci
2006-06-14 06:25:08 · answer #4 · answered by Mister Bob the Tomato 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amerigo Vespucci. The true discoverer of America to the old world. NOT Columbus. By the way, how can you discover a country if people are living there already?
2006-06-14 06:29:02 · answer #5 · answered by Chris L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
from Italian explorer Amerigo
Vespucci
2006-06-15 04:15:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wasn't it Amerigo Vespusie (sp?) Hell, i don't know. All I know is that I'm sitting in my office telling my coworkers that I'm swamped with all this work while I sit here answering questions about random topics.
2006-06-14 06:26:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
from americus ves purssi. i may not have spelled the name right but he was the first to come to america not columbus as we have been lead to believe
2006-06-14 06:28:39 · answer #8 · answered by John P 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Supreme One rocks.......you never know what you might learn. Thank you for the insight and another thank you for 2 pts.
2006-06-20 20:33:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
amerigo vespucci
that was cool what he did to that one guy
2006-06-14 06:30:17 · answer #10 · answered by jredfearn08 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋