Where does “Asia” come from?
Asia comes from Ancient Greek Ἀσῐ́ᾱ, which is attested in Mycenaean Greek as 𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊, though the original meaning remains unknown.
Ancestry of “Asia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Asia | — |
| 2 | Latin | Āsia | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Ἀσία | Asia Minor; Asia; Asia |
| 4 | Mycenaean Greek | 𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊 | an ethnonym for a Lydian; an epithet of the... |
| 5 | Hittite | 𒀸𒋗𒉿 | northwest Anatolia |
Words derived from “Asia”