I know where we got the (English) names of the Americas and Australia, but not sure where we came up with Asia, Europe and Africa. Would like some etymological help on these geographical names.
I believe “Africa” was the Roman name of the area now known as Libya and Tunis, while “Asia” was the name for what now is Turkey (“Asia Minor”). I can’t help you with Europe, though.
Africa, Asia, and Europe all derive from Latin, as Alessan almost said.
Europe is named for Europa, mother of Minos, lord of Crete. In the Metamorphoses of Ovid, she is seduced by Zeus ( in the form of a snow-white bull), who carried her to Crete from the shore of Phoenicia ( now south Lebanon).
By “Roman name” I meant “the name used by the Roman Empire”, of course. They were names of Roman provinces.
By “almost said,” I meant “said two out of three of,” of course.
An earlier thread on this subject. . .
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=6772&highlight=Africa
My understanding is that the name “Asia” for Anatolia originated in a word meaning “east.”