America
/əˈmɛrɪkə/
noun
Origin
Italian
Amerigo — Derived from the given name of explorer Amerigo Vespucci
Overview
Meaning Now
- A landmass comprising the continents of North and South America.
- Commonly used to refer to the United States of America.
Language path
Italian → New Latin → English
Earliest form
America
Earliest period
1507
Journey
The name was first proposed by the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller in his 1507 map. He honored Amerigo Vespucci, who recognized that the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus were not part of Asia but a distinct continent. The name originally applied only to South America before being extended to the entire hemisphere.
Evolution
- 15th century
Amerigo
“Given name of the navigator Amerigo Vespucci”
From Germanic *Haimirich* (home-ruler)
- 1507
America
“The fourth part of the world”
Coined by Martin Waldseemüller and Matthias Ringmann
Connections
Word parts
Americ-
root
Referring to Amerigo Vespucci
-a
suffix
Feminine suffix used to Latinize place names
Related across languages
Spanish
América
America
French
Amérique
America
Explore next
Related to America
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.