Acrostic: conscious effort to name the landmasses

Fenestella

Banned
First of all, I suspect that A, initial of all later discovered and named landmasses, was a conscious effort rather than a coincidence. Here is why:
1. A was already the initial of two of the three gerontogeous continents, Asia and Africa
2. America: eponym of Americus, Latin form of Amerigo (Vespucci), one of the explorers, not the earliest or the most famous.
3. Australia, neuter plural of australis, one of the several Latin word meaning "southern", the other ones are meridionalis (neuter plural: meridionalia), meridianus (neuter plural: meridiana), and more.
4. Antarctica: ant- (ἀντ- opposite) + arctica (ἀρκτικός, of bear)‎, based on Arctic, a preexisting designation, whose initial happens to be A.

Here comes the alternatives, an acrostic:

Africa

Meridionalia or Meridiana: for Australia, vide supra (3.)

Europe

Rhipea or Riphea: for Asia. Rhipaei or Riphaei (Ῥίπαι) is an ancient name for the Ural (and Caucasus) Mountains, the demarcation between Europe and Asia. The vast majority of the Asians weren't familiar with the term "Asia" until ?, so no problem there.

India (Nova): for North America, the original misconception. The endonym of the real India is Bharat, so no confusion.

Columba: for South America. The name of Christophorus Columbus is sheer religious message and symbolism - christophorus (carrying Christ), columbus (dove, the Holy Spirit) - the zeitgeist back then, so no problem there.

Antarctica
 
those are onomastic and etymological evidence? ... have those words changed meaning when i slept last night?
 
Feel free to disagree with my views and choices of alternatives, but which piece of onomastic and etymological evidence I gave do you think is made-up?

I'm asking you to provide evidence that they used an acrostic.
For example I could say that it is actually a shortening of ame rica tierra, Spanish for I love a rich land, due to all the gold they find. But without any documentary proof or records then it's just me saying so
 

Saphroneth

Banned
Educate me, I'm listening, don't be laconic.
Well, if you insist.


I think the general opinion here is that you're presuming a connection of opinion and of intent in great numbers of people separated by thousands of miles and hundreds of years. You're also reading a huge amount into the definitions of terms, and as such it comes off a bit "conspiracy theory"-y.
 

Fenestella

Banned
I'm asking you to provide evidence that they used an acrostic.
For example I could say that it is actually a shortening of ame rica tierra, Spanish for I love a rich land, due to all the gold they find. But without any documentary proof or records then it's just me saying so
Let me clarify. I was trying to say that I suspect there were conscious efforts (after Asia and Africa) to name every new landmass with an initial A. You don't organically get 6 out of every 7 countries/cities/etc. with initial A. Then I'm inspired to make an acrostic. Sorry for the misunderstanding
 
Except Australia isn't the name of the continent, it's Oceania. Or did I miss something here?

An you count America twice in "6 out of 7 start with an A" right? South and North America.
If you're talking about landmasses and not strictly speaking continents, then what about Greenland, or even New Guinea? They didn't get an A as a starting letter.
 
First of all, I suspect that A, initial of all later discovered and named landmasses, was a conscious effort rather than a coincidence. Here is why:
1. A was already the initial of two of the three gerontogeous continents, Asia and Africa
2. America: eponym of Americus, Latin form of Amerigo (Vespucci), one of the explorers, not the earliest or the most famous.
3. Australia, neuter plural of australis, one of the several Latin word meaning "southern", the other ones are meridionalis (neuter plural: meridionalia), meridianus (neuter plural: meridiana), and more.
4. Antarctica: ant- (ἀντ- opposite) + arctica (ἀρκτικός, of bear)‎, based on Arctic, a preexisting designation, whose initial happens to be A.

Here comes the alternatives, an acrostic:

Africa

Meridionalia or Meridiana: for Australia, vide supra (3.)

Europe

Rhipea or Riphea: for Asia. Rhipaei or Riphaei (Ῥίπαι) is an ancient name for the Ural (and Caucasus) Mountains, the demarcation between Europe and Asia. The vast majority of the Asians weren't familiar with the term "Asia" until ?, so no problem there.

India (Nova): for North America, the original misconception. The endonym of the real India is Bharat, so no confusion.

Columba: for South America. The name of Christophorus Columbus is sheer religious message and symbolism - christophorus (carrying Christ), columbus (dove, the Holy Spirit) - the zeitgeist back then, so no problem there.

Antarctica
This is some really aggressive pattern-matching on your part, Fenestella. I mean it was interesting to read don't get me wrong, but are you sure there's not something making you go a bit haywire at the moment:p;)
 

Cryostorm

Monthly Donor
If you want to talk about coincidences how about that Americus means "industrious leader" in Latin, talk about foreshadowing:cool:.
 
Wasn't Asia at first simply the name of a province in Anatolia, that later got applied to the whole, and same for Africa? Africa is just a Roman province, and somehow, it's name got extended for the whole continent.
 

Fenestella

Banned
If you're talking about landmasses and not strictly speaking continents, then what about Greenland, or even New Guinea?
This is a really good and interesting question which brings forth the geographical Sorites paradox: when does an island become a landmass and vice versa?

If you want to talk about coincidences how about that Americus means "industrious leader" in Latin, talk about foreshadowing:cool:.
Wasn't Asia at first simply the name of a province in Anatolia, that later got applied to the whole, and same for Africa? Africa is just a Roman province, and somehow, it's name got extended for the whole continent.
Great comments, appreciated.

This is some really aggressive pattern-matching on your part, Fenestella. I mean it was interesting to read don't get me wrong, but are you sure there's not something making you go a bit haywire at the moment:p;)
Greatly appreciated.
I almost forgot that my OP was structured as Part I and II - I, my heretical view of the existing nomenclature; II, my own heterodox nomenclature - I can recant Part I whenever I see the light and still stand by Part II.
 
If you want to talk about coincidences how about that Americus means "industrious leader" in Latin, talk about foreshadowing:cool:.

I think that the meaning is in itself plausible, but the etymology of Americus is pretty certainly Germanic, not Latin.

On the OP, I find the acrostic very interesting and creative, but I would think that naming the continents starting with an A is more likely a coincidence, than a conscious design (by whom? why?). Also, as others have stated, the name of the continent is Oceania, not Australia.
 
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