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From: rob@ptsfa.UUCP (Rob Bernardo)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Daily linguistic tidbit: etymology of 'America'
Message-ID: <518@ptsfa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Mar-85 13:13:50 EST
Article-I.D.: ptsfa.518
Posted: Wed Mar 20 13:13:50 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Mar-85 00:22:20 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Pacific Bell, San Francisco
Lines: 29

It is widely known that 'America' comes from the Latinized version
('Americus Vespucius') of the name of Amerigo Vespucci.
But what is rarely mentioned is the origin of the first
name of this Italian navigator who explored the North American coast
after Columbus.

'Amerigo' (with the accent on the 'i') is the equivalent of 'Henry'
in some Italian dialect of his time. These two names come from the
Old High German name 'Heimerich', which is composed from 'heim'
[house, akin to English 'home'] and 'rihhi' [ruler]. This name was
Latinized as 'Henricus', whence French 'Henri', Italian 'Enrico',
Spanish 'Enrique', etc.  But apparently the Old High German name
was separately brought into some Italian dialect as 'Amerigo'.

So 'America' "means" 'ruler of the roost', as it were.
-- 


Rob Bernardo, Pacific Bell, San Francisco, California
{ihnp4,ucbvax,cbosgd,decwrl,amd70,fortune,zehntel}!dual!ptsfa!rob

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